


Collaborations

by AlytheSinSlug



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Eventual Smut, F/M, Frisk is Nonbinary, Genderless Frisk, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Protective Sans, Reader is a mage, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn, lots of fluff, people are jerks, reader is female, sciency stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlytheSinSlug/pseuds/AlytheSinSlug
Summary: You are a mage, and the first lab assistant at the New Hotland Lab. After a lifetime of hiding your magical abilities, you're surprised to find that monsters are far more accepting of you, going so far as to become your friends.You're even more surprised when a certain pun-slinging skeleton seems to want to be more than friends.





	1. The Worst Night

 

You sighed as you pulled the gloves back on your hand. This was the last one. The last book in the University's collection, the one you and your mother had watched over for years. And it was finally going back where it belonged.

 

You carefully opened the book again. This book, a compilation of magical botany and alchemy, was your mother's favorite in the entire collection. When the monsters were still underground, this tiny collection of a few dozen books was all that was known about magic and the fabled monsters. They were all pre-war, most written in script no one could read, ancient monster languages. Your mother had spent a lifetime pouring over these ancient tomes, scanning them, analyzing them, trying to translate them. You knew a few words of some of the books, after extensive cross referencing with human written books from the era.

 

This book was also one of the last physical lifelines to your mother. You paused, gently running a finger over the beautiful illustrations she had spent so much time scanning and preserving. She had been the only Professor at Ebott University who even cared to study these books. And now, with monsters emerging from the underground just under a year ago, you were glad she took such care of them.

 

It's almost been a year. That thought always chokes you up. A year since she died. You had been at the funeral when the news blasted about the barrier breaking. You had collapsed in a heap at the funeral when you found out, devastated. The one thing your mother never stopped talking about. The one thing she had been dreaming of her entire life. And she'd missed it by two weeks.

 

You shook your head. You had to get these packed so they could be delivered to the new Monster Embassy tomorrow. You gently wrapped the book and placed it in the crate with the others. You had digital scans of all of these books (At least, the ones that would scan. There were a few that never scanned properly no matter what you did). But it was still sad to see the small empty space on the archive shelf.

 

You closed the crate and pulled off your gloves, wiping dust off your face. The Archive room was in the basement of the Library, and it was silent, as usual. You spent a lot of time here, one of the few students in the place allowed into this room with the rarest books the library owned. But then again, the university had been your home for your entire life. Most of the faculty took care of you like you were their own child. It was not unusual for you to attend someone's lectures as a young kid, listening with rapt attention.

 

You also were the only student of Magical Studies in the entire university. You wanted to continue your mother's work. But the last year had been...dark. Hard. You'd spent months not coming in at all. You'd put your degree on hold. And not just because the only Professor for your degree was gone.

 

Losing your mother had been one of the hardest things you'd ever gone through. She'd been your lifeline, your rock. Especially given how others tended to treat you...

 

You were snapped out of your thoughts by the sound of someone running down the basement stairs. You turned and caught the sight of the Librarian, Ms. Atley, scanning for you in a panic.

 

“___! Come upstairs to the commons, quick!” Her voice was filled with panic.

 

“What's going on?” You gasped, jumping up from your chair and following her up the stairs.

 

“It's...there's a situation at your dorm!” She said as she led you up the stairs. “Dr. Winchester is waiting for you there!”

 

A situation? Oh God, now what? You felt a pit of dread open in your stomach. You'd gone the whole year without any incidents. Somehow, you already knew.

 

You blasted through the library doors, sprinting across the grass in the dark. You could hear sirens. People were milling and running toward the dorm. You could feel your lungs burning in protest, but you had to get there...please don't be...

 

You arrived in front to find a giant bonfire going in the parking lot outside the dorm. It was a massive blazing pile of...things...

 

Your things, you realized as you approached.

 

Your bed, your clothing, everything you had kept in your small dorm room. It was all on fire.

 

You could barely hear people screaming.

 

“Burn the witch!”

“Demon fucker!”

“Should send her underground!”

 

You stopped in your tracks. A cold spike of terror flitted through your chest.

 

Oh God.

 

_Who found out_??

 

Being a mage was hard. You tried your best to hide your magical abilities. Ever since you were a kid, people had reacted with fear to you. Fear led to hatred. Fear and hatred led to you being home schooled most of your life, to people randomly striking out at you, to losing friends and even your extended family to accusations. People accusing you of trying to harm them, of cursing them, of bewitching them.

 

You weren't even a very good mage.

 

You were rooted and lost in thought when a hand grabbed your shoulder. You snapped out of your reverie and jumped back defensively. You realized it was Dean Winchester, or Amy as you knew her, finding you. As usual, her hair was done up perfectly, the grey streak in the front smoothly pinned down. She was wearing her usual slick business suit. Clean cut, perfectly assembled. That was the Dean. 

 

“My office. Now.” She said coldly as she grabbed your arm. Most students were afraid of the Dean. She was a cold, calculated woman. Most students only got to know her when they were in trouble. She gave no quarter in her expectations of her students and their behavior. But you knew a side of her that most students didn't. She was like a second mother to you.

 

Amy led you away from the crowds, from the fire department hosing down your things, away from the screaming and hatred coming from the crowd. You were lost in a daze as Amy led you at a swift pace away, back toward the main faculty building, up the stairs to her large, cozy office on the second floor. After closing the door, checking to see if anyone else was following you, she sat you down on her couch. You were crying by now, sight blocked by tears, your entire body quaking in fear.

 

Amy quickly walked to her electric kettle and switched it on. She then returned, kneeling in front of you.

 

“____, breathe. It's okay. You're safe.”

 

“How...I was so careful...I never used it around anyone...how...who...” You hiccuped, gripped by panic.

 

Amy took your hands and held them.

“___, Candle (her nickname for you since you were small), breathe. It is not your fault. C'mon, do the exercise for me. I can feel static.”

 

When you were extremely emotional, your magic tended to get out of control. You'd learned this at a young age, when tantrums would send objects flying across the room. At extremes, it was enough to feel in the air, like a tiny jolt of electricity to anyone who came near you. Your mother, bless her heart, had studied every bit of old magic she could, trying to help you control it. You both had figured out one thing, something that helped settle your mind and calm you.

 

Still sobbing, you took your hands from Amy's, and placed them on your lap. You focused on that font of energy you could feel in your chest. You pulled, slowly, carefully.

 

A tiny pillar of flame erupted in your hand. It was like a candle caught in the wind, the flame sputtering and twisting.

 

“There you go, ____, breathe, get it still” Amy stood, and returned to the kettle, throwing some chamomile tea into the tea ball before pouring hot water over it.

 

You tried to settle your mind. You tried to release your fear. It was not going well, but soon the tiny pillar settled, becoming a small, pure flame. Amy placed a hand on your shoulder, offering the mug of tea.

 

You weren't outright sobbing anymore, but tears still stained your cheeks. You exhaled, and allowed the tiny flame to go out. The air wasn't filled with static anymore.

 

“Who found out?” You whispered.

 

“I don't know, but we will find out, and this will be dealt with. I've alerted the staff, security will collect your things once the fire is out, and they'll be placed in secure storage. You're not going back to the dorm tonight. You're coming home with Leslie and I.”

 

You smiled. Amy's partner, Leslie, was a complete opposite of Amy's firm, controlled demeanor. Leslie was a sweet, warm woman who loved having you over for cake and tea on a regular basis. She worked as a Biology professor, and had been a handy mentor for years. You glanced at your phone. 11pm. Past Leslie's normal bedtime.

 

“I hope you didn't wake her up.”

 

Amy shook her head, smiling. “No, she hadn't gone to bed yet, and you better believe there's a casserole in the oven now waiting for you.”

 

You laughed a little, wiping tears from your eyes as you gulped down the tea. “I'm so sorry, Amy. I should have been...”

 

“No.” She stated, turning to grab her coat. “You're not going to blame yourself for this. This is not your fault. Now, before we get home, I should let you know I sent an email to you not twenty minutes ago. When you're of a more stable mind tonight, give it a look, okay?”

 

You nodded. You'd heard your phone go off earlier, but had ignored it, and had totally forgotten in the panic that had followed. Amy motioned for you to follow, and you went down to your car.

 

As you rode in silence to Amy's house, you couldn't stand the anticipation. You pulled up the email app on your phone.

 

-Re:Internship Application

 

You snapped over to Amy, wide eyed.

 

“Oh God, they responded already??”

 

Amy laughed. “You were the only applicant, ____. And the Monster Queen wanted that position to be filled by a human. Something about showing human/monster collaboration to the government. She and the former Royal Scientist gave you a glowing review.”

 

You glanced out the window. A week ago, you'd been informed that the New Hotland Lab, run by the Monster royal family, was looking for a lab assistant. As the only student who had ANY magical experience, (and because your minor was in Biology), the dean had suggested you apply. You'd been a nervous wreck as you typed out your letter. You knew your mother would have been so proud.

 

You opened the email, your heart fluttering.

 

-Dear Ms. ____

 

I'm sending this email to inform you that you have been selected to interview for the position of Lab Assistant to the New Hotland Lab. We would like to schedule the interview as soon as possible at the newly opened NHL. Please let us know of your availability. We look forward to meeting you.

 

Sincerely,

Toriel Dreemur

Dr. Alphys-

 

You laughed. Your heart had done a flip from scared and broken to hopeful and ecstatic. You noticed another email had come in a few minutes later. It was from...MagicalPrincessLizard665?

 

-Dear ___

 

Uhm. My name is Dr. Alphys. But you can call me Alphys. I wanted to reach out and congratulate you on the position. The interview isn't anything too bad, I promise, Miss Toriel and I think you're more than experienced for the position. I'm hoping we can get to know each other better!

 

Alphys-

 

You grinned at the email. You could already tell you'd like Alphys. You wondered if she watched anime given her email...

 


	2. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we get to see some Sans! And Alphys, to be fair. Sorry for the delay in this chapter, I will try to get these out more often from now on. I just wanted that first meeting with Sans to go right. He can be scary when he wants to.

“Alphys, chill out.” Sans grunted as he turned back to the mainframe he was trying to upgrade.

 

The move from the old Hotland Lab had done a number on a lot of the machines, and Sans was trying his best to get them upgraded, since he had to go in and fix them anyways. He was covered in volcanic dust and black grease. Not how he had planned to greet the new employee, but he was too lazy to clean up.

 

Alphys meanwhile had been pacing back and forth all morning. “B-b-but, what if she hates it here? What if I a-a-annoy her?”

 

“You two have been emailing all weekend. You said yourself she seems nice.” Sans twisted a screw to lock the new motherboard in place. He was still withholding judgment on this new human, it wasn't that he didn't expect her to pull her weight (her resume from the school was fairly impressive), he just...he'd learned to not trust a human on looks. Too many years of being a Judge underground had taught him that much.

 

“S-s-she does seem nice! A-a-and she agreed with me about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 and that it was a terrible addition and it didn't even follow the manga storyline and left out...”

 

Whoops, there she went again. Sans chuckled, wiping his hands off and closing the case on the mainframe. He clicked the boot button and...hmm, still not booting. He swore under his breath.

 

“Hey, I'm sure you'll be fine, Alph.” Sans popped the case back open, staring at the machine. He'd replaced everything in this old beast and it STILL wouldn't boot.

 

“O-o-oh gosh, there's h-h-her car...”

 

Sans looked up at the computer showing their outside cameras. A very worn VW Beetle was pulling into the parking lot.

 

“Welp, better go haze the newbie.” Sans said with a smirk, sticking his hands in the pocket of his hoodie.

 

“H-h-hey, you promised you'd be nice!”

 

 

You sighed as you gripped the steering wheel. You were nervous as all heck. Sure, you'd ended up emailing Alphys all weekend, especially once you learned Alphys was a fellow anime nerd (and you both agreed MMKC2 was a travesty). You knew you'd get along fine.

 

She had however mentioned a colleague of hers would also be present, and you knew nothing about him. And, well, you had to also admit you were nervous going in front of monsters face to face. You had no idea if they could sense that you were magic or not. Or maybe they'd just hate you outright. That was always a possibility...

 

You lightly slapped your cheek. Get a hold of yourself. Calm down. This was just like any other interview, and Alphys was pretty much convinced you were a perfect candidate.

 

You finally climbed out of your mother's beloved Beetle. You carefully shut the door and smoothed out the blouse you'd borrowed from Amy and Leslie. You were wearing your lucky science shirt underneath. You hoped they didn't mind a dark pair of jeans instead of slacks. Most of your clothing had been un-salvageable after the fire. Especially since someone had written nasty messages in sharpie all over your shirts. Thank god your lucky shirt survived.

 

You smoothed your hair again. You hoped they didn't mind that it was currently bright green. You never left your hair a natural color, rather you'd been through the rainbow of different dye colors. You'd just done the green a week prior, and like heck were you dying it a more “natural” color for the interview.

 

You finally collected your nerves, and went to the front door. The New Hotland Lab looked brand new, appearing like nothing more than a standard office building from the outside. You had to admit, you were super stoked to get a peek inside if nothing else, because wow, the stories already coming out about how advanced the tech was that came from the underground left you awestruck. You sort of wished you'd majored in Computer Science or Engineering, but biology was just...easier.

 

At the door, you pushed the buzzer, and heard the click of the lock disengaging. You took one more deep breath, and pushed open the door.

 

Inside was a small reception area. It was well lit and clean. At first, the room appeared empty, until you noticed that someone was leaning against a doorway to a long hall.

 

That someone was a skeleton wearing a blue hoodie.

 

You stopped for just a second. The skeleton was about your height, but broad shouldered. His eyes were dark, with small bright lights that were...staring at you. It wasn't an unkind look, but...you could feel them peer into your soul. You clenched a bit at that.

 

“Can I help you?” The skeleton intoned with a deep, baritone drawl. You snapped out of your gaze, you'd been staring rudely, so much for first impressions.

 

“Um, I'm here to see Dr. Alphys about the internship.”

 

The skeleton leaned forward and took a couple steps toward you. He was still staring. You decided to take this as a challenge and stare back.

 

“You must be ___” He said, looking into your eyes.

 

You nodded. Did he have to get that close? Was he trying to intimidate you? Because that was kind of working. Then you noticed it.

 

“Uh...I'm sorry but...” You were trying to keep from laughing.

 

The skeleton cocked a brow bone at you (wait how did he do that?).

 

You rocked back and forth on your heels. Do you tell him?

 

“Uh...you've got...you've got something on your face.”

 

The skeleton looked surprised, and reached up to wipe whatever it was off.

 

“N...no other side...higher...no, too high” You were giggling by now. He finally wiped the offending spot off with his sleeve, then looked back at you. There was that glare again. You cut your giggle off.

 

“Thanks.” Suddenly the glare was gone. He slouched a bit, and held out his hand. “Sorry, had to see if you would bolt or not.”

 

“What?!” You gasped. “I wasn't gonna run...well okay that was intimidating as hell...but...”

 

He chuckled, his hand still outstretched. You grabbed it, and were surprised when the grasp made a...farting noise?

 

He lifted his hand, a whoopie cushion carefully concealed. You and him stared at each other for a beat, then you both broke down laughing.

 

“Oh my God that was good.” You giggled.

 

“Name's Sans. Sans the skeleton.” Sans grinned at you. “You'll be fine, let's go see Alph before she has an aneurysm.”

 

The skeleton led you down the long hallway to the end.

 

“Couple offices that way, one of em will be yours, bathrooms here in the middle. Those two are smaller labs, here, is the main lab.” Sans held the door open for you.

 

The main lab was a large, open room that was currently filled with all manner of machines, most of them looked like computers of various sorts. On the back wall was one massive computer with a screen that was about as tall as you were. You whistled in awe.

 

You heard a small shriek, and realized that sitting on a chair in front of that machine was a small...lizard woman? She readjusted her glasses quickly, and held out her hand as she shook with fright. You noticed she was sweating.

 

“You must be Dr. Alphys. It's a pleasure to meet you in person!” You beamed, deciding to take some of the pressure off of the lizard.

 

“H-h-h-h-hi ___, I told you, call m-m-me Alphys. I see you m-m-met Sans.”

 

You glanced at the skeleton who was now leaning against one of the machines. He gave a casual wave.

 

“I did, tried to scare me off.”

 

“B-b-but you stayed! I p-p-promise he's not usually like that.”

 

You shrugged. “It's okay, I've gone through worse when applying for jobs.”

 

Alphys nodded. “W-w-well, don't be t-t-too nervous here. You're totally qualified for w-w-what we need. The job is b-b-basically assisting Sans and I in our research. Y-y-you good with computers?”

 

You nodded enthusiastically. “I used to build computers all the time, just lost my good gaming rig, so I'm gonna have to build a new one.” You gazed at the massive computer behind Alphys, and noted it wasn't on. “What kind of system do you run on this thing?”

 

Alphys turned in her chair. “W-w-well, closest thing to a human system is Linux, though we've heavily modified it for our use. Computer runs on multiple standard cores as well as a few Magical Cores. We're actually having issues with it, since the move up from the Underground it doesn't want to boot.”

 

“Oh?” you said, giving the machine a glance over. “Power supply?”

 

“Replaced it yesterday.” Sans said from behind you. He walked over and pulled the side of the case open. You peered inside. It was definitely different than any machine you'd worked on, it had several rows of motherboards, most looking brand new.

 

“You replaced the motherboards...RAM?” Sans nodded. “Hmm...connections all look stable. You...you did check the outlet, right?”

 

Sans froze. “Uh...I did a couple days ago.”

 

You looked at him. “Check it again.”

 

Sans ran over behind another machine, and you heard a string of curses.

 

Alphys and you shared a look. “W-w-what's wrong?”

 

Sans returned looking chagrined. “Uh...it wasn't plugged in.”

 

The three of you were silent for a moment before you all laughed. Alphys hit the power switch and the machine purred to life. You were impressed that it only took a matter of seconds for the machine to boot, and another second or two after Alphys entered her credentials. She began running diagnostics.

 

“Well, you certainly think on your feet there, kid.” Sans said, his cheekbones dusted a light blue.

 

You laughed. “I did a few months in a call center for tech support for a company that made computers. You wouldn't believe how often that was the issue. Good ol' PEBKAC.”

 

Sans and Alphys looked at you with confusion. “Pebkac?”

 

You grinned. “Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair.”

 

Sans lit up, and started cackling. “That's amazing!”

 

Alphys was also chuckling. “Well, I, um, think you'll work out here just fine! I just...um...have some paperwork for you to fill out. Oh and um...M-m-miss Toriel wanted to meet you today if that's fine.”

 

You went pale. “The Queen of Monsters wants to meet ME?” You were NOT dressed for meeting royalty.

 

Sans laughed. “Don't worry, she's the Queen of nice. She's technically the owner of the lab, so she wanted to meet face to face.”

 

You were nervously smoothing down your blouse. “S-s-still...oh gosh I'm gonna be a mess.”

 

Alphys patted your arm “She really is quite sweet, I p-p-promise. But she's still about an h-h-hour out. M-m-maybe in the meantime, you can help us get these other machines hooked up?”  
  


“Sure thing! Uh, lemme get my nice shirt out of the way...I have a shirt on underneath!” You felt your cheeks sting when Alphys and Sans stared at you. Why did you say stupid things?

 

You unbuttoned your blouse and shrugged it off, laying it over a chair. You noticed Sans was staring at your chest, grinning. For a second, you were concerned that he was staring at your boobs. Then he started laughing.

 

Your shirt had a plot of curves on a graph, with the words “Math Puns are the first sine of madness”.

 

“That's a good one.” Sans said, “Wish I'd _plot_ of it.”

 

Oh. It is on.

 

“I dunno, it's so easy to go off on a _tangent_ with em. Problem with math puns is they're all _derivative_.”

 

Sans had a challenging look on his face. “You just gotta not get too _formulaic_ with em. _Sum_ of em are pretty clever. Don't be too _negative_ on em.”

 

“Oh my God you two, will you stop it.”

 

You and Sans laughed as Alphys groaned and buried her face in her hands.

 


	3. A Fortunate Arrangement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos and kind comments, as always! Y'all are sweethearts!

“Sans!” you whined.

 

“That's my name.” he retorted with a cheeky grin.

 

“C'mon man, throw me a bone!”

 

“Nah.”

 

You groaned. “Seriously, move your butt, bone boy!”

 

Sans looked up from his phone at you, still grinning like a Cheshire.

 

“Well, now I'm really not gonna move.”

 

You huffed. You could feel your fingers slipping from the massive piece of machinery you were carrying. And of course, Sans happened to be standing right in the spot Alphys had directed you to put it.

 

“C'mon, please! I don't wanna know how much I'll owe Alphys if I drop this!”

 

Sans chuckled and lifted a finger. For a second, you thought he was making you wait, the jerk, but suddenly, a blue glow surrounded the machine, and it lifted out of your hands. With a flick of a wrist, Sans moved the machine into place, turning and connecting it to the main.

 

You wiped the sweat off your brow. With your help, the lab was coming together nicely. It seemed that most of the big machinery had just been moved in, and Alphys and Sans were trying to figure out where to fit everything. You weren't sure what half of these items were for, but you were hoping to find out eventually.

 

“Was that...Telekinesis?! Wait, they call it 'gravity magic' now, right?” You breathed, looking impressed.

 

Sans shrugged. You huffed and stalked away. He seemed to be having a very interesting chat with someone on his phone, and had been pointedly ignoring you for a while. Oh well, at least he wasn't trying to scare you anymore. Alphys had come from one of the smaller lab rooms, dabbing her forehead with a towel. She offered one to you as well.

 

“M-m-miss Toriel will be here soon.”

 

“Ah crap, I forgot! I'm all sweaty and gross now.” You took the towel and rubbed it all over your face. Your makeup had probably sweated off a long time ago.

 

Alphys smiled shakily “S-s-sorry. There was more work to do than I h-had anticipated.”  
  


You waved her off as you wiped the towel around your neck and forehead. “It's okay, that's what interns are for anyways!”

 

Alphys began to say something when a buzzer sounded from somewhere. She squeaked and ran over to one of the computers, hitting a button. You heard the familiar click from down the hallway of the main door. In a frenzy you tried to sop up all the sweat you'd accrued from shifting around heavy machines. You prayed you didn't have any pit stains going.

 

“Sans!” you hissed “Do I look okay?”

 

Sans wasn't buried in his phone anymore, but still just shrugged. You stuck your tongue out at him.

 

“Thanks a lot.”

 

“Ah, you must be ___”

 

You spun around to see a tall, white goat woman standing in the doorway. You recognized her from the news and internet. She was smiling softly at you, wearing a purple pea-coat and hat and a long grey skirt. You rubbed your hands on your jeans and held one out. Was this proper for greeting royalty?? You tried to settle on a smile, but you were sure you looked like some kind of weirdo. Toriel laughed softly and took your hand, it was about twice the size of yours, but soft and gentle.

 

“T-that's me.” you stuttered nervously.

 

Toriel smiled. “Do not be nervous my dear. I have already heard you have been helping Dr. Alphys and Sans quite a bit.”

 

You looked back at Sans. Was this who he was texting earlier?

 

“I did not doubt you would work out fine. That is actually not why I am here.” You turned to face the queen again, a confused grin on your face. Oh no, what happened...

 

“I came to inquire about where you are staying? Your Dean informed me that there had been an unfortunate...incident that left you without a place to stay.”

 

Your heart sank. How much had Amy told her? You tried to keep any panic out of your voice. “Um, your Majesty, I um...I'm staying with the Dean and her partner, actually. They've known me since I was little.”

 

“Just Toriel is fine dear,” Toriel smiled, “And I'm glad you've got a place, but the university is on the far side of town, is it not?”

 

“Well, yeah...but I have a car! So it's not long at all.”

 

“Would you perchance want a place to stay that is closer to here?”

 

Now your heart did a leap. As much as you enjoyed Amy and Leslie's company, you had already started searching for a new place. Not that you could afford much in this town.

 

“Well I...I've been looking for a spot, but rent is so high here...I may have to find some roommates...”

 

Toriel grinned, you could swear you saw a happy sparkle in her eye. “What if I told you I knew of an empty apartment very close to here, that was covered by the University?”

 

Your jaw dropped. “What? Amy didn't mention...”

 

“Because I wanted to check with the other tenants first. You see, one of the apartment buildings here in the area has a spare, and well, it is a monster only building right now. But, your new neighbors gave me the okay, so I would like to offer it to you.”

 

Your jaw dropped.“And the University would be covering it?”

 

Toriel nodded. “I had a long chat with the Dean, she cares about you a great deal, and we struck up a deal. The only thing I would ask in return, besides being kind to your neighbors, is that you help me with a lesson plan.”

 

You cocked your head, “Lesson plan?”

 

“I've been invited to do a lecture on the history of the Underground by the University, and while I am fairly sure of the information, I have never given a lesson quite like this one. I am more accustomed to teaching children than giving talks to adults. I would love to have someone who could help read over the lecture and tune it up, so to speak.”

 

You grinned. You'd long helped your mother figure out her lessons, since by the age of about 15 you were as much an expert as she was. “I'd love to help! And not just because I might get an apartment out of it. I would love to learn more about the history of the Underground, we only have data from before the war!”

 

Toriel grinned wide. “Great! Now, normally as the Landlady, I would give you a tour of the place, but my afternoon is tied up. Thankfully, your new neighbor has offered to take you over!”

 

“New neighbor?” You glanced around, and Sans gave you finger guns. “Ah, well okay then!”

 

“Now Sans, you know where the paper work is, correct?”

 

“Yep.” Sans shifted onto the heels of his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

“Please get her to fill it out and back to me by tomorrow.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“And don't forget this time.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Toriel sighed dramatically with a bit of a giggle. “Alright then. Miss Alphys has already given me your email, perhaps we can set up a time to go over what I have already.”

 

“Sounds good, Your...I mean, Toriel.”

 

Toriel smiled, and bid her ado. Alphys let you know that she had nothing else planned for the day, and that you and Sans should go check out your new place. You were happy to oblige.

 

The apartment proved to be only a couple blocks from the lab. The building had a pub and a small shop on the bottom floor. You realized as you parked and got out of your Beetle that this was definitely an area now known as the “Monster District.” The royal family had bought up several blocks of city and created a haven for the masses of monsters that left the Underground. Many monsters had moved on to other cities, but this place was still a bustle of activity. You glanced around at the buildings, and noted that a lot of work had been done on them. They all looked brand new. A few monsters were bustling about their day, shopping or chatting outside. There were flower boxes everywhere, many filled with golden buttercups. It was still  warm out as August finally began to wane.

 

Sans showed you to a side door between the pub and the shop. He handed you a set of keys, one for this door, and one for the apartment. You followed him up the stairs, chatting amicably. You learned that the shop owner and pub owner both lived on the second floor, above their shops. The third floor was where Sans and his brother, who you learned was named Papyrus, lived, and the apartment across from them was your new place.

 

When you reached the third floor, Sans waved at the door.

 

“This is you. We're across the hall.”

 

You grinned as you opened the door. The apartment was cozy, but not cramped. There was a decent sized galley kitchen to the right when you came in, and a fairly large living area. A small hallway down the left led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. The room smelled clean and fresh, and the paint looked new. You grinned wildly, spinning in the living room.

 

“I haven't had space like this since I lived with my Mom!” You cheered as Sans walked in the door. At some point he'd acquired a set of forms.

 

“The lease agreement. It's a 12 month lease, rent due by the 5th, though the college is handling that I guess.” He handed the forms and a pen to you. You leaned the paper up on the wall, reading. It was a fairly basic agreement, no smoking inside, etc, but what you found interesting was the clause on magic use. No sparring inside, no summoning constructs over 3 feet wide, and a clause about having a fire magic proof stove if needed. You wondered silently if they realized they were renting to a mage, even if you were a pretty crummy one.

 

You signed and initialed where needed, and Sans folded up the paper and shoved it in his pocket.

 

“So, I'm technically the repair guy,” Sans drawled, leaning against the wall, “But everything here is new, so you shouldn't have problems. But here, let me get your number just in case.”

 

You offered your phone to Sans and took his to enter your number. You saved Sans as Bonehead in your contacts. You already had Alphys' number from the emails.

 

“Awesome, thanks. I should be fine.” You looked around the space. You suddenly were very aware of how little furniture you had in storage.

 

“You need any help moving stuff in?”

 

“I mean, if gravity magic is involved, it would be handy.”

 

“Well, if it'll _lift_ your spirits, I'm happy to help.”

 

You paused. “Did you just...” Sans chuckled. “I don't really have much right now, I should be okay on my own...except maybe the futon...” You were planning things in your head. “Oh man, I have so much stuff in storage...it'll be nice to have it out and around.”

 

“Well, I'm gonna go let Paps know we have a new neighbor. Give me a call if you need anything.”

 

You waved to Sans as he left your apartment. You took a deep breath in. After what had been a pretty crummy weekend, it looked like things were headed up. You grabbed your bag off the floor and took off down the stairs after locking the door.

 

Once outside, you took another deep breath. Man, August was almost over and...

 

...you froze, suddenly feeling cold.

 

...September 1st was next week.

 

The anniversary of your mother's death.

 

You leaned up against the wall as your heart went cold. You took a shaky breath, willing for the tears to stay in place. She would have been so excited about all of this. She would have chatted your ear off about working with monsters, about having a new place in the monster district. You'd finally gotten so you could think about her without breaking into tears. You'd let yourself forget that the anniversary was coming up. And now it was really within sight, and your whole body ached at the thought of having to admit that it had been a year.

 

You needed to settle yourself. You knew that thinking about your mom got your emotions in a tizzy, which could set off your magic. You fumbled around in your bag, you knew you still had some in there somewhere...

 

Finally, you found the beaten up box of clove cigarettes. Your mother had smoked clove cigs, not daily, but when she was stressed out or celebrating. You'd grown up with the scent lingering around her. You dug in the bag again. Dang it, you must have taken the lighter out. You glanced up and down the street. No one was really looking at you, going about their day in the warm afternoon sun. You turned away toward the wall and cupped your hand around the end of the cigarette. With a small thought and a wisp of magic, the end of the cigarette lit, and you inhaled the dense smoke slowly.

 

The smell of the cig and the taste of the paper immediately settled your mind. You exhaled slowly. You knew that you would probably need to take that day off. You really hoped Alphys wouldn't mind, but you knew you'd be useless that day. In fact, you planned to either sleep or drink your way through it. Those seemed like the only valid way of coping.

 

You held the cig in your teeth and got in the car. No use dwelling on it today. You had things to move in.

 


	4. A Secret Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all my awesome commenters and kudos! If you have any questions or want to talk, you can find me on alythesinslug.tumblr.com! I may do art for this fic at some point!
> 
> Also let me know if you would like longer chapters. I'm used to writing more for comics than prose, so I tend to write short and sweet!
> 
> CW for Panic Attacks

It turned out you had less than you'd thought. Sure, there were a ton of boxes of your mother's mementos, books and notebooks, even her old desktop, but for furniture, it was scarce. Two old bean bag chairs and the futon mattress. With some creative stuffing and counterbalancing, you managed to get everything in your old beetle. Sure, you couldn't really see out the back or the passenger side, but it wasn't that bad of a drive.

 

Evening was arriving as you pulled up to the curb outside your apartment. The street was busier now, folks walking home or heading out for the evening. Monsters of every shape and size, and even a few humans, walking and laughing and chatting. You could see business picking up at the pub. You sat in the drivers seat and pulled out your phone.

 

 **You** : Hey, can I get some help with this stuff? It's not much.

 

 **Bonehead** : sure, be down in a sec

 

You got out of the car and leaned against the hood, trying to figure out a battle plan. You were most worried about the boxes of books and papers. You really needed to go through it all, but after your mother's death last year...

 

You shook your head. No thinking about that right now. You don't need tears. Thankfully, at that moment the door to the stairs burst open, and a tall, lanky skeleton in a shirt that said “Cool Dude” and basketball shorts burst out, looking around for a moment before locking eyes on you.

 

“HUMAN, ARE YOU ___?”

 

You were taken aback for a second before you nodded. You didn't get a word out before the tall skeleton lifted you into a crushing hug.

 

“IT IS SO GOOD TO MEET YOU! I AM YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

 

“Oh!” you choked through the hug, “Sans told me about you!”

 

“Hey.” Sans waved from the doorway. “Really packed it in there, didn't you?”

 

You shrugged after Papyrus set you down. “I really didn't want to make more than one trip. Nothing really breakable, except the old desktop, but please be careful with any boxes. It's my mom's old research notes and such.”

 

“FEAR NOT HUMAN. I AM EXCELLENT AT DELECATELY MOVING THINGS! AND WITHOUT THE USE OF MAGIC, LIKE MY LAZY BROTHER!”

 

Sans shrugged, though you noticed him eyeing the boxes with interest. You chuckled as you started pulling boxes from the car. “Well, I'm in good hands then! Let me go open the door.”

 

You jogged up the stairs, slightly winded by the time you reached your door. You unlocked the door and pushed it open. Was it really this big? You still couldn't believe it. You had sent a text to Amy earlier, who insisted on visiting when it was all in. You were pretty sure you would need to do some furniture shopping. Thank God the Ikea nearby delivered.

 

You turned when you heard someone jogging up the stairs and down the hall. Papyrus entered, with every single box precariously balanced on his shoulders.

 

“Oh God, let me help you with that.”

 

“WHERE SHOULD I PLACE THESE?”

 

“Just, on the floor there, out of the way is fine. I need to go through them.” You motioned to the wall beside the door. You were surprised at how gently he placed the stack of boxes down.

 

“And these?”

 

You turned again to see the futon mattress and the two bean bags floating in front of Sans, his hand raised lazily. You still couldn't believe you were seeing gravity magic in action. It was supposedly one of the most difficult schools of magic.

 

“Uh, bean bags in here, mattress in the master bedroom please.”

 

Papyrus looked around the sparse room. “UH, HUMAN, IF I MAY...”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Papyrus looked at you quizzically. “IS THIS...REALLY EVERYTHING?”

 

You nodded sadly. “Yeah, after my mom died...this is what I had left.”

 

Sans returned from the bedroom with a cocked brow bone. “Didn't you say you lived with your mom before?”

 

You sighed. “Yeah, we had a house near the university. But...well...her family...they didn't like me. At all.”

 

Really, her family hated you. They knew you were a mage, and despised you. You remember them screaming at your mother that you had cursed her, that she would have done so much more without you. Thankfully, your mother always screamed back, that you were the best thing to ever happen to her. Your mother had loved you unconditionally. You really didn't hear from her family much.

 

“They got to Mom's will before I did. I only got Mom's notes because a University lawyer threatened to get involved. I inherited all her notes and books.” You looked fondly down at the old worn boxes. Thirty something years of research and notes on magic, monsters, and the barrier. A good chunk of which you had helped her find.

 

Sans and Papyrus shared a sad look between them.

 

“But, it's fine!” you added in, not wanting them to pity you. “I have some stuff at Amy's place still, and mom's stuff was pretty old and out of date, she wasn't one for, um, decorating. Just means I get to make this place mine! I have a little money left over from the will, I can get this place looking great in no time!”

 

That seemed to satisfy Papyrus. “WELL THEN HUMAN, ALLOW ME TO COOK YOU A WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEAL!”

 

“You cook, Papyrus?”

 

Papyrus puffed out his chest. “I AM A GREAT CHEF! OR I WILL BE, ONCE I FINISH SCHOOLING. BUT I AM ALREADY A LINE COOK AT METATTON'S FANCY RESTARAUNT!”  
  


You whistled, “Wow, better than me, I can barely keep from burning water.”

 

“PERHAPS I SHALL GIVE YOU SOME LESSONS! YOU CAN'T LIVE ON FAST FOOD, DESPITE WHAT MY BROTHER INSISTS.”

 

Papyrus stormed into the next apartment, leaving you and Sans alone.

 

“Isn't my brother the coolest?” Sans asked, reverent.

 

You grinned. “He's a sweetheart! I can tell I'm gonna love being your neighbor!”

 

Sans nodded, turning to you.

 

“Yep, it's gonna be great. Though I do have a question for you.”

 

“What?”

 

“When were you gonna mention that you were a mage?”

 

No.

 

Oh no.

 

Oh no not again.

 

No no no no no.

 

Your body went into flight mode on instinct. Your heart was pounding in your ears. You didn't hear what Sans had to say before you bolted into the back bedroom. Realizing you couldn't escape from there, you did the next safest thing. You collapsed onto your knees, shielding yourself from blows you were sure were going to come. Your heart was racing. Tears were falling and you were barely able to breathe. You found you were waiting, waiting for him to either run away or attack you. You sat in a ball on the ground, shaking with wracking tremors. How many times had you ended up like this, your assailant angry and scared, not listening to you.

 

You were surprised when you heard him in the doorway. He said nothing at first, before he slowly approached you.

 

“No...no no no...I'm not...please...don't hurt me....I'm not...” You were getting dizzy from hyperventilating.

 

“Hey...hey it's okay...it's okay, you're safe. I'm not gonna hurt you kid.” Sans' voice was soothing and calm. He didn't sound angry, or scared.

 

...what?

 

You still couldn't talk, the panic attack making breathing difficult. You heard Sans slide down the wall next to you until he was sitting by you. He wasn't...he wasn't hurting you? He wasn't running away? Your mind couldn't believe this, waiting on the strike you were sure was coming. The strike that always came.

 

“Is it okay if I touch you?”

 

You nodded after a moment, still bewildered.

 

Sans gently placed his hand on your back, hesitating when you flinched, then began rubbing slow circles. You could feel your shaking starting to slow.

 

“Breathe, kid, you're okay. You're safe, I'm not gonna hurt you.” He sighed, “Stars, this is not a good conversation for you, is it? I'm sorry I said anything. I just...”

 

You shook your head, breathing deeply.

 

“Most people...most people ask that...when they're afraid...or angry...think I'm...cursing them or...”

 

Sans sighed angrily. “Damn, humans are still hung up on that aren't they. Listen, it's fine, I'm not afraid of you. I can tell you're...you're safe.”

 

You looked up, uncurling slightly. He was watching you, his eyes felt like they were burning into your soul. You gently clutched your chest.

 

“I'm...safe?”

 

“Yeah...I, uh, have this ability,” Sans scratched the back of his head with his other hand, “I was a...Judge, underground. I can see others' LV and EXP without having to be in an encounter. When I met you at the lab, I checked, I could instantly tell you were a kind, good person. No LV, no EXP. Just a kind, good soul.”

 

“And...could you tell...”

 

“Heh. Oh yeah. You're definitely a mage. But...I can tell you don't know much about your power. You're...pretty weak, sorry. I knew you wouldn't hurt any of us.”

 

You laughed. “Y'know, I've been trying to tell people that for years.” You wiped away the tears with your sleeve. This was not how this conversation ever went. “I can barely light a candle, let alone curse someone or bewitch them or whatever.”

 

Sans was silent a moment. “People really accused you of that?”

 

You nodded, huffing. “Oh yeah. Anyone I got close to. Suddenly any misfortune they had was my fault. I mean, a long time ago, mages were called witches and burnt at the stake. We've never been...popular. People just...assumed I was dangerous from the get go. They were afraid. And...well, humans do stupid things when they're afraid.”

 

“Sounds familiar.” Sans said, his voice sounding distant. “Well, you can trust that monsters will never judge ya for it.”

 

“Oh God, can...can any monster tell that I'm a mage?”

 

Sans laughed, “No, not specifically. Most monsters though...probably just feel...comfortable around you. I mean, we're made of magic after all.”

 

You nodded. Huh.

 

“I...have never had this conversation go so well.” You looked up and saw a look of great sadness on Sans' face. He didn't seem to know what to say about that.

 

You heard Papyrus shout from the hall “DINNER IS ALMOST READY YOU TWO!”

 

Sans stood and offered you a hand. You took it, standing and smoothing your shirt and hair.

 

“Hey Sans?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

You smiled. “Thanks.”

 

You both emerged from your apartment, and Sans led you into theirs.

 

Their apartment was a mirror image of yours, and where yours felt empty, theirs felt warm and inviting. They had a worn green couch sitting in their living room across from a tv, above which hung a painting of a bone. A rug in a zig zag pattern of blue and pink was laid across the living room floor, and a small dining table set was pushed against the wall. You could smell amazing things coming from the kitchen.

 

“PLEASE HUMAN, HAVE A SEAT.” Papyrus had a pink apron tied around his waist, and was brandishing a wooden spoon colored red with tomato sauce. “THE NOODLES ARE ALMOST DONE!”

 

You peeked your head into the kitchen. The smell was amazing, and the small galley kitchen was well organized. The fridge was covered in post it notes.

 

“Uh, I forgot to say, thank you for helping me move my stuff in, Papyrus! And for dinner, this smells amazing!”

 

“IT IS NO PROBLEM FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! AND IT IS WHAT GOOD NEIGHBORS DO!”

 

You giggled. You could tell you were gonna like Papyrus. You decided to go sit at the table. Sans had moseyed into the kitchen, judging by Papyrus yelling at him to get out of the way. He returned and plopped at the table with a bottle of ketchup in his hand.

 

“Really? Ketchup on spaghetti?”

 

“Nah.” Sans took a swig.

 

“Eww, that's just....gross.”

 

“Don't knock it till you try it.” Sans then lowered his voice, leaning toward you. “I won't tell anyone about...that...unless you say it's okay.”

 

You were taken aback. Again, most folks...well, you now were positive Sans wasn't like most humans.

 

“I'll...um...I'll tell him...it's only fair...”

 

“If you're sure.” Sans whispered, taking another drink of his ketchup bottle.

 

“SANS, MUST YOU RUIN YOUR DINNER WITH THAT SWILL?”

 

“Ruining one of your dinners is im-pasta-ble, Paps.”

 

You laughed as Papyrus glared daggers at Sans, setting down the plates of spaghetti. They looked just as good as they smelled.

 

“What's the matter, Papyrus?” You asked, a grin forming on your face, “You don't have a penne-chant for pasta puns?”

 

At this, Papyrus wailed. “SANS HAVE YOU ALREADY RUINED OUR NEW FRIEND?”

 

“Nah, I would never dough that to a friend.”

 

“Sorry Papyrus, I can't pasta-p a good pun like that.”

 

“WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING??”

 

You and Sans laughed heartily. Papyrus was stomping his foot on the ground.

 

"Okay, I swear I'm done. Sorry, I just couldn't resist."

 

Papyrus sighed. "It's okay, human. I'm...used to it." He shot a glare at Sans, who shrugged as he dug into his spaghetti.

 

You twirled a fork full of spaghetti around your fork and took a bite. That's it. You were ruined on any other spaghetti forever. This outshone them all.

 

"SO HUMAN, YOU SAID YOUR MOTHER WAS A RESEARCHER?"

 

Ah, a good segue, you supposed.

 

"Yeah, she was studying magic and the barrier. She also helped preserve the few books we had left on the subject. Even found some in other countries about it. Used to travel a lot before I was born. She was a history professor at the University, but well, when I was born, she really started studying magic thoroughly. I was...um.." You twisted the fork in your fingers. "I was...born a mage."

 

Papyrus looked at you for a moment.

 

"WOWIE! A HUMAN THAT CAN USE MAGIC! WHAT TYPES OF MAGIC CAN YOU USE?"

 

You were stunned for a moment, glancing at Sans, who was grinning at his brother.

 

"Uh...wow...well, we didn't have a lot of texts left on how to use magic. A lot were...destroyed in the years after the barrier went up. So I'm not very strong or very good...but...well..."

 

You decided to show them. You placed your hand on the table, palm up. You took a deep breath, steadying your mind. Slowly, a small flame emerged from your hand, a tiny pillar that flickered and wavered for a moment, before it turned still. 

 

"THAT IS A GOOD FIREBALL, HUMAN, THOUGH IT IS A LITTLE SMALL!"

 

The only person who had ever praised you for using magic was your mother. You weren't sure what to say.

 

"Uh...thank you, Papyrus! That is all I know how to do, and it took a lot of trying to figure it out."

 

"I THINK SANS SHOULD TEACH YOU MORE MAGIC, ___!"

 

You and Sans both choked on the mouthfuls of spaghetti you had. 

 


	5. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn some important stuff about Reader this chapter, and a few more important characters make their debut!

The next few days were spent helping Alphys and Sans organize the lab. Alphys went into detail about her work, which ranged from growing echoflower samples, to advanced robotics for various enterprises. She even let on that it was her that built Mettaton, the viral star. You were awestruck at how SMART Alphys was, which of course would leave her frazzled when you mentioned it. You did make Alphys promise to help you meet Mettaton yourself (As much as you hated to admit it, you loved his cheesy pop music a whole lot). Sans was pretty quiet about his projects, just stating that they were in the basement level of the lab, which your badge didn't give access to. He claimed it was because the basement was an absolute disaster zone, but you weren't so sure. You made sure not to pry too much.

 

You were trying to build up the courage to tell Alphys about your powers as well. True to his word, Sans hadn't said anything to the lizard monster, though he swore to you she would take it fine. It was so bizarre and scary to you to tell anyone about your powers, even though you knew deep down that monsters would actually accept you for who you were. Every time you thought about it, your heart raced and your breath became shallow. You went through the week trying hard to say something.

 

So finally, on Friday, you came in to work filled with determination. You were going to tell her. No ifs, ands, or buts. You had ordered an extra shot of espresso in your coffee that morning, hoping the extra jolt would get you to open up. You had rehearsed your thoughts in your head on the walk to work.

 

When you came in, the lab was pretty quiet. You'd already adjusted to the noise of various machines working. You entered the main lab at the end of the hall, surprised to see no one there.

 

“Guys?”

 

“D-d-down here, ___!” Alphys called from one of the lesser used rooms. You followed her voice to one of the secondary labs, where a massive machine was running. Alphys was standing between multiple cameras set up in a circle. Sans was manning the machine, he waved at you lazily as you came in.

 

“What is this?” You asked, gazing at the device.

 

“Soul scanner.” Sans answered, beckoning over. You moved around the cameras quickly to look at the monitors he was watching.

 

“We f-f-f-finally got it s-s-set up!” Alphys croaked. “It allows you to s-s-s-see magic flow and soul condition. You should be able to see my s-s-s-soul up there.”

 

You glanced at the monitor. One was a dark screen, where Alphys was outlined in white. In the center of her floated a bright yellow heart. Several stats also were listed, such as HP, Defense, and her ML. The other screen was a grey-scale video, however you noticed yellow traces of light floating around Alphys.

 

“Is that magic there?” You asked, pointing. Sans nodded.

 

“It's picking up the ambient magic that she gives off. All monsters give off ambient magic, and if she was using a magical attack, we'd see it plainly here.” He motioned at Alphys. “Do an attack, Alph.”

 

“O-oh, gosh, I'm n-n-never very good at this.” She was sweating profusely you noticed. She turned and pointed herself at a small target dummy that you hadn't noticed before. Sans tapped the screen with the video. You watched in awe as a small bullet of magic flew from Alphys' soul at the dummy.

 

“Oh my gosh, it's just like the books described it!” You squealed. Despite monsters being above ground, you hadn't had the chance to see much magic in action, although one book did describe encounters in decent detail. “And the bullets are different depending on the monster, right?”

 

Sans chuckled. “Yup. Depends on the monster's attack style too. I use bones, for example.” Sans lifted a hand and summoned a small white bone. You could feel the slight ambiance of magic as he handed it to you, buzzing in your hand. You grinned and handed it back, but it fizzled in the air and disappeared.

 

“Awesome!” You glanced back at the other screen. “Yellow...that's...Justice?” You remembered reading about different soul types in one of your mother's books.

 

“Y-y-yes, though monster souls are made of Love, Compassion, and Hope mainly. T-t-t-though our soul colors do show which other t-t-traits we are dominant in.”

 

“Huh.” You hadn't taken Alphys as a Justice type. You knew that the types were pretty broad though, and had many interpretations.

 

“Do y-y-you know your soul color, ___?” Alphys stepped away from the camera.

 

“Nope. Mom guessed that I was a Perseverance soul, but we never knew for sure.”

 

“W-w-why don't we scan you and find out?” Alphys offered, scooting a chair up to the monitors to look.

 

Would...would they be able to tell that you were a mage?

 

“Uh, first, I know that HP stands for Hope, and Defense is, well, Defense, but um...what does ML stand for?”

 

“Magic Level.” Sans said, leaning back. He gave you a very definite glance. Oh dear.

 

“That only shows up for m-m-monsters.” Alphys said, making some notes on a notepad. “Or human m-m-mages I guess, if they still exist.”

 

You were sweating. Sans looked over Alphys' head and shrugged. You debated with yourself for a moment. Maybe this was a good way to tell Alphys, since you couldn't quite find the words.

 

“Sure, scan me!” You said, a little shakier than you had intended. Alphys squealed with glee.

 

“Awesome! G-g-go stand in the middle there, and we'll fire it up!”

 

Sans flashed you a thumbs up as you set your coffee on a desk and stood in the middle. You were trembling like a leaf. Alphys tapped a few keys, and you heard the machine hum.

 

“It'll take a second, it has to key in on your soul.” Alphys said excitedly, pressing various controls. Sans was now leaning against the wall with a casual grin.

 

“There we go, it's coming in. Green! You have a kindness soul!” Alphys leaned in to the monitors. “HP within expected level, defense a little low...huh. That can't be right.”

 

Sans leaned over, and you saw his eye sockets go wide. “Well...that's...huh.”

 

“What?” You squeaked, wringing your hands.

 

“U-u-uhm, this m-m-machine must be malfunctioning. It...it says...well it says you have a magic level...”

 

Alphys looked at you, and you looked away, blushing. “That...um...sounds about right.”

 

Alphys was silent for a good thirty seconds, jaw agape, staring at you. “You're a Mage?!” she finally shrieked. “Oh my gosh, that explains so much...but...” she looked back at the monitor.

 

“But what?” You asked. Sans motioned for you to come look at the monitor. There were your stats on display next to an image of a brilliant green heart.

 

HP 30/30

Defense 15

ML 999

 

“Is...is that bad?”

 

Alphys gaped at you again. “Bad? No that's...really high! Almost Boss Monster level!”

 

You blinked. “Boss Monster?”

 

“T-t-there are two types of monster, standard and Boss. Regular magic levels for monsters are around 500-900, depending on size and strength. Boss Monsters are from 1000 up. You're...really strong!”

 

You felt that there had to be something wrong. “But...but I can barely do magic at all! I can make a tiny flame and that feels difficult.”

 

Sans and Alphys shared a look. “S-s-stand in the middle again, there's another r-r-reading I can take.”

 

You hopped back into the center. You heard the machine whir again. This time Sans and Alphys shared a worried look.

 

“Oh. Kid...that ain't good.”

 

“What?”

 

Alphys shook her head and motioned again. You came to the monitor.

 

Magic Concentration 150%

 

“Uh...” you looked at them.

 

“You're overfilled with magic.” Alphys answered, pressing her glasses up her nose. “I'm...surprised you haven't suffered any ill effects, like headaches or pain. I guess humans can handle a bind better...”

 

“A bind?”

 

“When monsters go through a magical bind, they're unable to use their magic at all, and it builds up inside them. It starts to cause problems, becomes somewhat uncontrollable. It can cause real damage unless the monster can get their magic flowing again. We have to use our magic regularly or this can happen. If you have never really been using your magic, all of that energy has gotten...built up.”

 

“Uh...well I do have some issues if I'm feeling really strong emotions.” You whispered. “If I'm really upset, sometimes...it's like static all over me.”

 

Alphys nodded. “That's raw magic escaping you. That's...really dangerous! You could hurt yourself if it got out of control.”

 

You nodded, rubbing your chin thoughtfully. “That...maybe the exercise keeps it down...”

 

“Exercise?”

 

You held out your hand, letting your mind settle as a tiny flame erupted in your palm. “This was one of the first things I figured out how to do, and my mom...she realized it helped calm me down. If I was throwing a tantrum or really upset, she would have me do this until my magic stabilized. So I was...basically letting off pressure.”

 

Alphys nodded. “Exactly! You said that's all you know how to do though?”

 

“The texts on human magic use were pretty sparse, most of them destroyed during the witch hunt era. So we had nothing to go on but instinct.”

 

Sans scratched the back of his skull. “So you never learned how to focus and concentrate your magic...that explains it. Monster kids spend a lot of time using their magic and learning what they can do. They find the schools of magic they're most comfortable with, and that's what they use all their life. You never had that experience, so...” Sans eye lights went out. “You're a Boss Monster who never learned to control it.”

 

You winced. “Is that...bad?”

 

Sans laughed “Well...you haven't burnt anything down yet.”

 

You groaned.

 

“Y-y-you need to learn how to use your magic, ___. We can start to teach you...though uh...actually, one of the best teachers is Miss Toriel. Um...have you told her yet?”

 

You kneaded your forehead. “No...not yet. Hell, I hadn't told you, had I? It's...bad things usually happen when people find out about this.” You motioned with your hand, the flame reappearing. “Last folks who found out took my stuff onto the campus parking lot and set it on fire.”

 

“That's what happened?!” Alphys cried. “I heard it was...a hate crime of some kind but...”  
  


You nodded sadly. You noticed Sans' smile was tight and his fists were balled.

 

“Did they find out who did it?” Sans asked, his voice low and tight. You shook your head, a little frightened of his change from his normal relaxed self.

 

“No, University is investigating it. Planning to press charges for me. I...don't wanna do a court battle, for...uh...reasons.”

 

Sans relaxed a little. “No, I get it. Welp, guess we'll have to help you get it under control, so next time you can dunk those assholes.”

 

You laughed. “I'd prefer that people didn't get so scared of me, anyways.”

 

“Y-y-you should tell Miss Toriel! She is so nice, she'll help!”

 

You picked up your now lukewarm coffee. “I was supposed to go meet her this afternoon to go over her initial notes...”

 

“You want someone to come with?” Sans offered. You shook your head.

 

“No I...she feels safe, for some reason.” Sans nodded.

 

 

The rest of the day passed relatively quietly, and soon you were headed out to Toriel's home. She lived on the North side of town, closer to the mountain. Her home was gated, you had to pass a human security guard, but you figured the place was well secured. The King and Queen of Monsters, and the Ambassador, Frisk, lived there after all.

 

The home was large, but still felt quaint for some reason. The grounds were meticulously manicured, with bright, sweet smelling flower beds dotting the large yards. You approached the house somewhat nervously. While Toriel seemed sweet, the King was...intimidating. The pictures of him you'd seen in the news made him look huge. You rang the doorbell, wringing your hands.

 

You were surprised when a small child, no more than 8 or 9, answered the door. They looked at you questioningly.

 

“Uhm, Hi, I'm ___, I'm here to see Toriel?”

 

“Mom! That lady is here!” The child yelled, motioning for you to come in. You laughed as you entered the home.

 

The interior was warm and inviting. You could smell something baking in the kitchen. Beyond the foyer was a large living area with a circling of couches and chairs, most quite large. Toriel was sitting in one of them, writing in a notebook.

 

“Oh, come in ___! I see you've met Frisk!”

 

You looked down at the small child beaming at you. This was Frisk!

 

“You...you're the Ambassador?” You had heard the Ambassador was young, but you hadn't expected them to be this young.

 

“I sure am!” Frisk beamed proudly, striking their hand against their chest. “Mom, can I go play with Flowey outside?”

 

Toriel nodded, and the child rushed off down the hall. She chuckled quietly as you came in and sat down next to her in another chair.

 

“Frisk is such a sweet child. Though full of energy, I have trouble keeping up with them sometimes.”

 

“I remember being like that at that age.” you mused, smiling. You were a little bewildered when you saw Frisk run through again, this time holding a pot with a large yellow flower in it, but you put it behind you.

 

“Um, Miss Toriel...”

 

“Just Toriel, dear.” She gently corrected, smiling.

 

“I um...well, I need to tell you something before we continue.”

 

Toriel put her pen down and set the notebook on the small side table. “You can tell me anything, my dear.”

 

“Well...I might have...not mentioned something when I applied to the internship.”

 

Toriel sat silent, waiting. There was a gleam in her eye that you just couldn't place.

 

“Well...um...I'm actually...uh...” You sighed. Still too hard to say out loud. You did as you had done so many times, and outstretched your hand, producing a small flame. Toriel grinned, covering her snout with her large paws.

 

“I knew it!”

 

“Y...you did?” You gasped, the flame flickering out in surprise.

 

“Oh, you were so nervous when I came to see you at the lab, I could practically feel it in the air. I had wondered if you were perhaps a mage. And it would seem you are! That was an excellent display of fire magic.”

 

“Well, that's the thing actually. Um...growing up, there wasn't very much information about magic use in humans, so...that flame is about all I can do. And Alphys scanned my soul at work today, and said my magic concentration is way too high.” You decided to leave out the part about your high ML. “I don't know how to use any magic at all, and that flame is really difficult.”

 

“Oh dear.” Toriel sat up in her chair, “You do need to learn how to use your magic to burn off all that extra. Hmm...I wonder what type of magic you would be good at...” She looked away, thoughtful. You sighed a little in your chair. Like the others had said, she didn't seem at all concerned about your magic ability. It still felt strange to not have someone react in fear to who you were.

 

“This is...a bit prying, but...may I ask your soul color?” Toriel stood up and went to a small bookshelf in the corner of the room. Even from a distance, you recognized some of the bindings on the older books.

 

“Uh, green.”

 

“A kindness soul...yes that seems right...” Toriel seemed to be looking for a specific tome.

 

“I see you got the books from the University.”

 

“Oh, yes, I hear I have you and your mother to thank for their care! They are in excellent condition considering their age.” She finally found the book she was looking for, and pulled it out. She handed it to you.

 

It was a newer tome you had never seen. Souls and Magic Schools was written on the cover in flowing gold script.

 

“Some magics are easier for certain soul types. For green souls...hmm...” Toriel thought for a moment. “I would hazard that perhaps basic healing magic, maybe blue attacks, and shield attacks would be easy for you.”

 

You thought for a moment, remembering your years of research. “Healing I get...sorta, not many humans could use it...blue attacks, those only hurt someone if they move through...shield...hmm, never read much on that...”

 

Toriel nodded. “The books you had only briefly mentioned some of the magic classes. And the classes themselves are fairly broad, most monsters tailor their magic to themselves, as it is an extension of their being. I for instance, am quite skilled in fire magic.” Toriel lifted a paw, and a large, round ball of flame erupted effortlessly from her palm. She tossed it in the air like a ball, then tossed it to you. You gasped as you caught it, expecting it to burn you, but it was a gentle warmth. “I use fire magic mostly for cooking, imbuing my food with special properties. I am also a skilled healer. Using the two types of magic, I can make a meal that can heal even the strongest of wounds.”

 

“Whoa...” You rolled the fire ball around in your hand. “That's...amazing. So you mean, if I can find the type of magic I'm good at...it can become...almost themed to me?”

 

“That is a good way of putting it, yes.” Toriel chuckled. “You learn quickly. So did Frisk.”

 

“Frisk?” you asked. You looked back towards where the child had run off.

 

“Frisk is also a mage.”

 

You turned, your jaw gaping. “They are!?”

 

Toriel smiled fondly. “They too don't have much control, in fact, they were not aware they had the ability until they fell underground. We have not determined Frisk's preferred magic schools yet, though they are starting to grasp fire magic. Fire magic is one of the easiest magic types to use, almost all monsters can use it to some degree. Some types can only be used by very high level monsters, or only boss monsters.”

 

“Like gravity magic? I know Sans can use...wait, is he a boss monster?”

 

Toriel nodded. You were taken aback. He didn't...seem like a boss monster.

 

“I am also a Boss Monster, as is the King. We are able to use very powerful forms of magic, though I am hoping we won't need those magics as much now that we are on the surface and at peace.” Toriel looked distant for a moment, and you decided not to pry.

 

“So I can learn to use magic?”  
  


“Yes dear, I would be happy to help you learn! Continue working on your fire magic, try to make bigger controlled flames. That is a good start. We won't go after combat magic for a while, but I would be happy to help guide you.” Toriel looked ecstatic. You were suddenly glad she was so eager to help. “But in the meantime, shall we go over some of my notes. I need to know what you humans are already aware of.”

 

You laughed. “Depends, are you talking to me, or to most humans. Cause most humans didn't think magic was real at all.”

 

“Ah, but you knew better, didn't you?” Toriel said, winking.

 

 

You spent most of the afternoon and part of the evening with Toriel, going over her notes. She was surprised how much humans had forgotten in the hundreds of years since the monsters were banished underground. You were elated to learn some of the holes in your own understanding. You couldn't help but think of your mother during your chat with Toriel, and how amazed she would have been on the knowledge lost in that time.

 

You came home late, full of a delicious dinner that Toriel had offered you, and you were ready to make some notes of what you'd learned, and maybe attempt to practice magic more. She had let you borrow the book on Magic Classes, and you figured you'd see if any of it stuck. You were surprised when you came upstairs to find Papyrus and Sans' door open, the sound of loud yelling coming from within.

 

“I'M TELLING YOU, NERD, MY COOKING LESSONS WERE FINE!”

 

“AND I AM TELLING YOU, I HAVE LEARNED MUCH ABOUT CONTROLLING PASSION IN COOKING!”

 

You warily peeked your head around the door-frame to see an all out war going in the skeleton brothers' apartment. There was tomato sauce everywhere, and facing off with Papyrus was a tall, muscular fish woman with red hair, a bright blue spear in her hand, her teeth gleaming as she squashed a tomato in her hand.

 

Sans was sitting on the couch, several splotches of tomato on his sweatshirt and face, watching with an amused grin. He waved when he saw you glancing in.

 

“Hey kid, welcome to the cooking lesson.”

 

Papyrus and the woman turned, Papyrus smiling brightly.

 

“HELLO HUMAN! I WAS JUST GETTING STARTED WITH A COOKING LESSON WITH MY FRIEND UNDYNE!”

 

You glanced at Undyne, who was eyeing you with a glare.

 

“Is this her, Paps?”

 

In a second, the tall fish woman was standing close to you, glaring down at your face, her grin wicked. You gulped.

 

“Uh...hi, I'm Papyrus and Sans' neighbor, ___.” You offered your hand for a handshake. Undyne stood frozen for a moment, you wondered if this would be your last act on earth, before she grabbed your hand and squeezed it, shaking it until it felt like your arm would fall off.

 

“I like this one, Paps, she's great!”

 

You sighed. You weren't sure what you had done to get this woman's favor, but you figured it was for the best.

 

“HUMAN, YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR DINNER!”  
  


“Oh, thanks Papyrus, but I ate at Toriel's place.”

 

“You got to eat at Toriel's!? Oh man, her food is the best!” Undyne roared, before stalking back in the kitchen. Papyrus rushed to join her, yelling about proper tomato etiquette. You laughed, plopping on the couch next to Sans, who was wiping tomato off his face.

 

“Is she...uh...always this...”

 

“Intense? Yep.” Sans pulled his hoodie off, grimacing at the tomato. “Welp, that's gonna stain.”

 

“Wash it in cold water, it'll keep the stain from setting.” You quipped, opening the book on your lap.

 

“Toriel gave you homework already?” Sans asked, pulling off his hoodie and tossing it into his bedroom. When he returned, you noticed he had on a “talk nerdy to me” shirt. You also noticed that his arm bones were thicker than you expected, nearly the thickness of your own arm.

 

“She wants me to look over the various schools of magic, try a few maybe.” you flipped a few of the pages. “She thinks I might be able to heal, maybe use blue magic attacks, and shields.”

 

“YOU CAN USE MAGIC?”

 

You looked up to see Undyne staring at you. You felt yourself shrink in your seat. You'd forgotten she was there.

 

“Uh...uh...” Your heart was pounding in your throat. You could feel yourself starting to shake. Sans placed his hand on your shoulder.

 

“Breathe kid.”

 

“So you are a mage! Damn, that's awesome!” Undyne was grinning again, and plopped down on the other side of you on the couch.

 

...once again, not what you expected.

 

“So what types of magic do you use?”

 

You blushed. “I'm not very good yet...I can only barely use fire magic.”

 

Undyne blinked. “Only fire magic? That's baby magic!”

 

“Undyne.” Sans stated, crossing his arms.

 

“We didn't know how magic worked at all, until you all were freed. I'm...still figuring it out.” You said, defensively. “Toriel thinks I can learn healing magic and blue magic, maybe...shields?”

 

“Dude, I use shield magic! You a green soul, right?”

 

You nodded. Undyne grabbed your shoulders with glee. “I can totally teach you how to fight! It'll be like teaching Papyrus all over again!”

 

Papyrus peeked his head out of the kitchen at the sound of his name. “INDEED, PAPYRUS TRAINED REGULARLY WITH UNDYNE! I STILL TRAIN WITH HER TO THIS DAY!”

 

You looked back at Papyrus and then at Undyne. “Uh...well I don't know if I want to fight so much, but...I'd like to maybe learn how to defend myself.”

 

Undyne slapped your back roughly. “We'll totally teach you, it'll be easy!”

 

You smiled to yourself as she hopped off the couch and returned to the kitchen. You could get used to people being this accepting.

 


	6. Remembrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one switches between Reader and Sans' POV a bit, hope it's not confusing. Also, CW for angst. I promise less angst from here on out.

Sans had to admit, not having you around the lab was...boring. Sans and Alphys had known each other for so long, there wasn't much left to talk about. Alphys had probably heard every pun in Sans' arsenal three times over now. Sans used the quiet as a push to finally start organizing and going through what he thought of as the “Gaster Files.” The former royal scientist had left so many projects, ranging from only barely conceptualized to half done, when he disappeared into the void. It had all sat, collecting dust, for so long afterwards. Sans just...hadn't had the motivation to go through any of it. Alphys tried, but a lot of it was written in old magic languages that she didn't understand. Sans at least could figure out most of it. 

He knew that today would be a rough day for you. You'd let him know that it was the anniversary of her mother's death, that you were taking the day to grieve. He could understand that. Hell, he couldn't understand how you were so well put together even a year later. It had taken Sans years to accept what had happened with Gaster. Even though he and his father had never been close, it was still a heavy hit to Sans' soul when he fell into the void. Gaster left a lot of frustration and anger in his wake that Sans had had to deal with on top of raising Papyrus. 

When he finally decided he'd done enough work for the day, and making sure Alphys was done as well, Sans teleported himself over to the sidewalk besides Grillby's. He contemplated going upstairs to check on you, but figured you'd rather be left alone.

Imagine his surprise when he saw you sitting in his usual seat, your head resting on your arms on the table, a glass of something on the rocks in your hand. Your hair was pulled into a messy bun, and you were wearing an over sized sweatshirt that read “Ebott University” on the back. Grillby was standing near you behind the bar, cleaning a glass, quiet. The fire elemental may have been a man of few words, but Sans knew that he could tell when one of his patrons was having a rough go of it. Sans waved to Grillby as he entered. 

“S'up kid?”

You blearily looked up at Sans as he sat next to you. Your eyes were puffy and red from crying practically all day. You gave him a weak grin and took a large sip of your drink before placing your head back in your arms. 

“Rough day, huh?” Sans murmured, taking the bottle of ketchup that Grillby had sat on the bar and taking a swig. You answered him with a sob. Sans nodded. He figured this would not be a good day for you, but still, seeing you so upset made his soul ache. He ordered a bourbon on the rocks from Grillby.

“S'not fair.” You said, slurring. “S'not fucking fair.”

You sat up a little, running the glass between your hands. You didn't look at Sans, instead staring into the middle distance, your mind blurring.

“She wanted that barrier to come down SO bad. So...so bad. Was tryin' to figure out how to do it 'erself. She wanted to help...and...and she didn't get to see it.” You took another large sip, finishing your drink. You waved to Grillby for another. “Y'know she's the one that made the gubment make an emergency plan, right? Why they knew what the fuck to do when y'all came out.”

Sans shook his head. “Huh, didn't know that. Wondered why they seemed so on top of it.” Indeed, Sans had been surprised that the humans had been so swift to figure out housing, security, and transportation for the monsters. He'd expected integration to take years, but so far, life in Ebott was good for a monster.

“That was all Mom. God knows...what would have happened.” You couldn't figure out how you were still crying. You thought you'd run out of tears in the last year. Seemed they'd all come back again twofold today. “And there I was, holding her damned funeral the day you all came out. I couldn't bring myself to join the help. I was supposed to be there, beside her, helping. And I was fucking burying her.”

Grillby sat a drink in front of you, and one in front of Sans. Sans took a slow sip.

“You were doin' what you had to, kid.” He finally said. You shook your head.

“She would'a wanted me to be there! She would have been the first one there herself! It should'a been her workin' with you and Alphys. You would...you would have...have loved her.”

Sans reached over and touched your shoulder as you sobbed again. “Hey, Alph and I love having you at the lab. It wouldn't be the same.”

“Still...not fair.” You cried, taking a large gulp of your drink. “An all cause...some stupid drunk asshole hit her...Stupid new car...maybe if I'd been smart enough to figure out healing magic....” You were balling your hands into fists.

“Whoa now,” Sans said, now putting his hand on yours, “Blaming yourself isn't gonna do anything but make you angrier. I should know.”

You sniffled. “Yeah?”

Sans sighed and took a swig of his own drink before continuing. “I....lost my dad, back when Paps was still just a baby bones. I remember being so...angry. For years. Blamed myself for it when in reality, I couldn't have done anything. Made me miserable.”

You nodded. The last year had been like that. You'd gone over the night of the accident a hundred times in your head. You thought of a million things you could have done to keep her from that intersection. A lot of days, you wished it had been you driving instead. 

“Ya just gotta accept that you can't change it, and instead live your life to the fullest. I'm sure that's what your mom would have wanted.”

You smiled softly. “She would've. Man, she would have freaked out when I told her about the internship. She would'a liked you, Sans, she was full of terrible jokes.”

Sans chuckled. “My jokes aren't terrible, they're an acquired taste.”

“People say that about stuff like moldy cheese too, doesn't mean it's good.”

“Hey now, you cheddar believe I only use the best material.”

You snorted. “That was awful, Sans.”

“I say it was un-brie-lieveable. You're just cheesed that you can't keep up.” Sans was grinning into his drink. You'd stopped crying at least.

Now you were laughing. “Oh God Sans, stoooop.”

“Nah. These are too Gouda to end.”

You couldn't even answer him. You were laughing too hard, the effects of the alcohol making you giggly. “Damnit Sans, you're Swissing me off.”

Sans snorted as he tried to take a drink. “See, you're not half bad when you put your rind to it.”

Suddenly, a bar towel hit Sans on the side of the head. Neither of you could breathe you were laughing so hard. Grillby shook his head in disapproval.

 

“Easy there kid, how much did you drink?”

“'Nough.” you slurred back. Sans was supporting your arm as you climbed the stairs, your legs feeling noodly beneath you. “How're you so squishy, Sans?” You were grabbing his shoulder for balance. You gave it a squeeze, surprised that it wasn't all hard bone beneath. Sans chuckled.

“Let's get you some water, kid.” Sans took your offered key and opened your door. For a moment, he wondered if you'd been robbed. Or hit by a tornado.

Paper and notebooks were scattered all over your living room. Your breath hitched as you took it in.

“Is this...”

“I...I was trying to...figure out what it all was and...” Your tears were starting again.

“Nope.” Sans turned you out of the doorway and towards his apartment. “Why don't you sober up at our place, I'll go clean that up.”

“R-really Sans, I can do it...” You hiccuped, leaning on him again. “You don't hafta...”

“HUMAN!”

“Papyrus!” You shouted in return, falling into giggles. At least the tears had stopped. Papyrus rounded the corner from the kitchen, and looked at you, his head tilted.

“SANS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE HUMAN?”

“Had a bit too much to drink, Paps. Can you get her some water.” You broke away from Sans and ran over to Papyrus, giving him a giant hug, which he gleefully returned.

“HELLO TO YOU TOO, HUMAN! YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL PARTAKING OF ALCOHOL. LET ME GET YOU SOME WATER AND FINISH UP SOME DINNER!”

“I gotta stop eating your food Paps, it's soooo tasty, I'll get fat.” You laughed as you collapsed into the couch. “Oh man your couch is comfy.”

Sans laughed, walking into the kitchen behind his brother.

“I'm gonna go over to her place and uh...clean up a bit. She's had a rough day.”

“IT'S...THE ANNIVERSARY, ISN'T IT?” Papyrus asked sadly. 

Sans nodded. Papyrus went back to finishing the Carbonara he was working on. 

“HUMAN, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A SLEEPOVER HERE TONIGHT?” Papyrus called. Sans smiled as he filled a glass with water. He knew his brother didn't want her alone tonight, and to be honest, neither did Sans. 

“A sleepover! That would be awesome!” You squeezed one of the couch cushions in your lap and took the offered glass of water. “We should watch a movie!”

“ONE OF THE COOKS MENTIONED A MOVIE HE THOUGHT SANS WOULD LIKE...SOMETHING ABOUT A HOLY GRAIL?”

You grinned in glee. “Oh my gosh, Monty Python and the Holy Grail? It's so hilarious and weird, mom and I would watch it when I was sick as a kid! I think it's still on Netflix, lemme give you guys my login!”

Papyrus ran into his bedroom, grabbing his laptop, and placed it on the coffee table. You quickly logged in and found the movie. Sans settled next to you, smelling slightly of bourbon, and Papyrus brought plates of Carbonara for you all to enjoy. You ate with a smile on your face, Sans laughing at the British humor, and Papyrus constantly asking how any of this was funny.

 

After you passed out on the couch, a borrowed blanket wrapped around your shoulders, Sans headed over to your apartment. With a flick of his hands, the notebooks and papers fluttered off the floor. Carefully, Sans peeked inside each notebook, trying to decipher their content, so he could attempt to organize them. 

Sans was impressed. Your mother had really been focused on figuring out magic, how to bust down the barrier. Some of her ideas mirrored ones that Sans' own father had tried. What Sans quickly discovered however, was that a decent portion of the notebooks were about you. Your mother had been documenting your magic use, noting what worked and what didn't. Sans could practically feel the love from these notebooks. He had to stop himself from prying too much, and soon had an orderly stack in the corner. 

With the notebooks cleaned up, Sans realized that several flat pack boxes had been delivered from Ikea, stacked haphazardly in the corner. They must have arrived that morning. Sans thought for a second, before he returned to his apartment. Papyrus was still up, cleaning up after dinner. 

“Heya Paps.”

“SANS, CAREFUL NOT TO WAKE THE HUMAN.” Papyrus whispered, though it was more of a stage whisper. 

“Hey, wanna help me with something?” Sans glanced into the living room. You were still asleep, nestled into the couch. “It's for her.”

“OF COURSE. I WOULD LOVE TO HELP THE HUMAN.”

“Good. Come over to her place with me for a minute.”

 

You woke up with the worst headache of your life. You turned onto your back and groaned. 

“GOOD MORNING, ___!” Papyrus bellowed from the kitchen.

“Oh God oowwwwww.” You clutched the sides of your head.

Papyrus entered the living room, two glasses in his hand. “I'M SORRY! SANS SAID YOU MIGHT BE HUNGOVER THIS MORNING.” He was trying so hard to whisper, you would find it hilarious if it didn't feel like your skull might split. He handed one of the glasses to you, filled with an odd gray liquid. “SANS SAID TO DRINK THIS, THEN THIS GLASS OF WATER, AND YOU'D FEEL BETTER.”

You cautiously took the gray drink from Papyrus. It was kinda thick, with a chalky smell. Oh well, you decided it had to be better than the headache. It had an odd flavor, like a mix of honey and cough syrup. You gagged slightly at the end (it was both thick and runny somehow), but you were impressed when immediately your headache started to wane. 

“Oh, oh that's so much better. Thanks Papyrus.” You took the glass of water and sipped it. “Where is Sans anyways, I figured we could walk to work.”

“OH, HE LEFT THIS MORNING, HE DIDN'T WANT TO WAKE YOU.”

“What!? What time is it?” You picked up your phone. It was nearly noon. “Shit, I'm late!”

“LANGUAGE, ___. SANS LET ALPHYS KNOW YOU WOULD BE RUNNING LATE THIS MORNING, AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT.”

“Oh man, I need a shower and clean clothes, dang it...” You bolted up from your seat, dashing out of the brothers' apartment, quickly unlocking your own door.

For a moment, you weren't sure you were in your own apartment. The notebooks had not only been cleaned up, but the furniture that had arrived from Ikea had been unpacked and put together. Your once bare living room now contained a dark blue couch, a coffee table, a desk and chair (Upon which your mother's old PC had been placed), and a bookshelf. You hurried into the bedroom to find that not only had your new mattress and frame been assembled, your bed was made with the new bedspread. The suitcase you had been living out of for ages was sitting on top of the two new dressers (though it looked like your clothing had not been put away).

You ran back into the apartment across the hall. Papyrus was finishing up dressing for his evening shift at the restaurant. 

“Did....did you guys put my furniture together!?”

“IT WAS SANS' IDEA, SURPRISINGLY THOUGHTFUL FOR THAT LAZY BONES.”

You rushed in and gave Papyrus a giant hug. “Oh my God,” you whispered, tears forming in your eyes, “You guys are the sweetest! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Papyrus hugged back with gusto. “DO NOT MENTION IT, ____. WE KNEW IT WOULD BE A GREAT SURPRISE TO WAKE UP TO!”

“Oh man, I owe you guys big time. Okay, I gotta go to work, but I have to like, make you guys dinner or something now.”

You ran back into your apartment, quickly texting Alphys and Sans as you started your shower.

You: I'll be there in like, 30 minutes. Sorry for oversleeping!  
LizardLady: No problem! Sans told me you weren't feeling well, no rush!

You: OMG you are the sweetest thing ever. Sorry for being a sad drunk last night.  
Bonehead: Don't worry about it. I have a coffee and a donut from Muffets with your name on it.  
You: Dear God, is this what having friends is like??  
Bonehead: Terrifying, isn't it?


	7. Teaching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I had about half this chapter written, then got struck with the Holidaze and couldn't find time to sit down and finish it up. But here you go! Happy New Years to all of the folks who have been so awesome to follow and enjoy my writing!

You rubbed your temples tiredly. You'd been staring at this word document all day, and the strain was starting to make your eyes ache. The lab wasn't too busy right now, with Alphys making preparations for a field study trip into the Underground. She had put in a request for you to be allowed to accompany her and Sans, as humans were currently banned from going into the Underground. If Asgore gave the okay, you would get to go down there with them to help collect samples.

 

Currently, you were sitting at the desk that Alphys had cleaned off for you in the main lab, where you were working on an overview of current human magic knowledge for Toriel. You'd decided it would be most helpful for her, so that she knew what she needed to cover. You'd brought in several of your mother's notes, not as painful now to go through, and were using them to give Toriel a look at what was known by the experts, and what was known by the average human.

 

You picked up your coffee mug, realizing for the third time that it was empty. You decided this was your signal for a break.

 

“Hey Alph, want a refill?” You asked, walking over to the desk where the lizard monster was furiously typing away at a list.

 

“Oh, uh, s-s-sure.” The monster stuttered, offering her empty mug that was shaped like a lizard. “Um, t-t-two sugars?”

 

You nodded with a smile, taking the cup and heading back to the small kitchenette in the back of the building. The place was warm and quiet today. Sans had been down in the basement all day, working on his own stuff. You'd periodically sent him silly science puns through the chat program the three of you used. He'd been responding with his own, and even Alphys had gotten in on it. The three of you were quickly becoming used to each other, and you were quite fond of both of them.

 

You cursed silently when you found the coffee pot was empty, and SOMEONE hadn't filled it again (Probably Sans). You pulled down the coffee can and began to set it to refill. The machine made quite a bit at a time, which was good as all three of you went through it like water. You checked the time on your phone, 1pm, and decided you might as well have some lunch. You pulled your Tupperware container of grilled chicken and mac n' cheese out, setting it in the microwave. You startled when you heard shuffling behind you.

 

“A-a-ah, I s-see you had the s-same idea.” Alphys chuckled as she came from the doorway, a large Cup Noodle in her clawed hands.

 

“Figure I should eat while I remember.” You said, stretching as you waited for the microwave to go off. “If I don't do it now, I'll get so wrapped up that I'll be starving at the end of the day.”

 

“Y-yeah, I do that too. S-s-so does Sans actually.”

 

“Think we should remind him to take a break?”

 

“I'll t-t-text him.”

 

You opened the microwave and stirred your food for a moment as Alphys shot Sans a text. She set the electric kettle on for her noodles.

 

“S-s-so, ___, I've b-been meaning to ask...” Alphys twisted her claws, looking a bit sheepish. “Do you...do you have any p-p-projects you want to work on?”

 

You pulled your Tupperware out of the microwave. “Like, research projects? Hmm, I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, I'm a biology major, but like, I never planned out what I was gonna actually DO with it.”

 

“B-b-but you also minored in Magical Studies?”

 

You nodded. “You couldn't major in that degree, though they'll probably change that now. I'm honestly more interested in magic than human biology.”

 

Alphys poured the water over her noodles. “Hmm...studying magic is a really broad field. T-t-there's so much about it to learn. A-a-and human magic is different t-t-than monster magic.”

 

As you thought of an answer, Sans padded into the kitchen, his “Bone-ified Genius” mug in his hand. He looked tired. You wondered if he'd fallen asleep at his desk again.

 

“S'up guys.” He yawned, headed to the fridge.

 

“Sans, you gotta remember to refill the coffee maker when you empty it.” You chided with a grin.

 

“Okay.”

 

“And turn it on.” Alphys smirked.

 

“Okay.”

 

You got up to refill your cup, and lightly bumped into his shoulder.

 

“You okay? You look _bone_ tired.”

 

Sans chuckled and grinned. “ _Tibia_ honest, I've been up late the last few nights. Going through some old textbooks and some old notes, nothing major.”

 

“Ah, a night owl like me then.” You said, knowingly. You'd often gotten into a deep study session only to suddenly find the sun coming up.

 

“I'm b-b-bad about that too.” Alphys chuckled, settling at the small table with her noodles and a pair of chopsticks. “I get to b-b-binging anime, and Undyne has to make me go to bed.”

 

“How's prep for the trip, Alph?” Sans asked, settling at the table with a new cup of coffee and a small container with his name on it. Inside was a Grillby's burger and several packages of ketchup.

 

“G-g-good. Oh, ___, Asgore agreed to let you come with us!”

 

“Really!? That's awesome! Oh man, I'm so stoked!”

 

“W-w-we'll be there most of the day next week,” Alphys said, slurping noodles in between words, “We have samples to gather in Snowdin and Waterfall, and we have to do a check on the Core while we're down there, oh and one of the geological societies wants some magma samples. Plus we need to install some monitoring equipment for the University.”

 

“Doing work for the University?” You asked between a bite of chicken.

 

“T-t-they just want some data about the underground to work with, since Asgore's not allowing anyone down there yet.”

 

Sans nodded, opening one of the ketchup packets and sucking out the contents. You made a face. “Still a few monsters down there. Some don't want to leave, some still looking for the perfect place to move to.”

 

“Ah, a security issue then.” You said, nodding. “Understandable.”

 

The three of you sat in silence for a moment, eating. As you finished your meal, you found yourself reflexively playing with flame in your hand. You'd been practicing more, and now you could form a small ball of magic flame. With the flame now having some shape, you'd been amused to discover the flame was green, like your soul. You'd read that most monsters' magic was a specific color that was attuned to their soul. Seemed humans were similar.

 

Sans and Alphys watched you play with the flame in your hand, your control getting better.

 

“H-h-have you tried any other magic yet, ___?” Alphys asked as she drank down the last of the broth in her cup.

 

“Not yet. I think I've finally got the hang of fire though, so maybe I should try something else. But I'm...kinda nervous.”

 

“A-a-any kind you're wanting to try?” Alphys had a bit of a gleam in her eye, one that you'd learned only appeared when she was thinking about magic theory or science.

 

“Honestly, gravity magic looks like the most useful, but it's supposed to be pretty difficult.” You shrugged. “I should probably start with like, basic bullet patterns.”

 

“Blue magic isn't that hard.” Sans said. “I think you could manage it.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Sure. Given the _gravity_ of the idea, I could help you out.”

 

You snorted at Sans' pun, but realized that was not a bad idea.

 

“Here, put your coffee mug down.” You did as you were told. “Now, think about that mug. Think about how much it weighs, about the space it occupies.”

 

Sans set his own mug down on the table. Alphys was watching with a grin.

 

“Now, you got the idea of that in your head?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Sans put his hand out. “Now, imagine your magic as an extension of yourself. Imagine it as a hand, so to speak. What would it feel like to wrap your magic around that object, to lift it, as if you were lifting with your own hand.”

 

A blue glow surrounded Sans' hand, and slowly enveloped his mug. With a gentle lift of his fingers, the mug floated about an inch above the table surface. “Your magic is the one doing the lifting. Gravity magic is all about using your magic as an extension of yourself. Feeling the intent of wanting to move something out of your reach.”

 

“M-most monsters actually use a form of gravity magic to move, like a human uses muscles. Using it outside of our physical forms however is very difficult for most monsters.” Alphys noted, quietly.

 

You nodded. You focused again on the mug, putting your hand out in the air just above it. You closed your eyes to focus, which you'd found helped. Finding your center, your soul, you could feel the gentle buzz of magical energy just waiting to be called. You'd gotten better and better at feeling that energy in the last few weeks of focused practice. You definitely wished you'd practiced more when you were younger.

 

You carefully pushed at that magical energy. You envisioned the mug sitting in front of you, just below your hand. You could feel the energy slowly climb up your arm, like a gentle warmth. Thinking of what it would be like to grab the mug, but not using your hand, using your magic. For a moment, your magical energy stalled, unsure of what you were trying to do.

 

“Breathe kid.” Sans mumbled. You realized you'd been holding your breath. You opened your eyes and continued to focus on the mug. Slowly, a green glow formed around it. You were sweating with exertion. “That's it...let it grab hold.” Sans was leaning forward, watching you. “Now, gently, it won't take much force to lift it.”

 

You slowly lifted your hand, at first without moving the mug. Then, the mug shifted a little. You were really straining now. It was definitely like trying to use a muscle that was out of shape.

 

“D-d-don't hurt yourself.” Alphys whispered, sitting back in her chair.

 

You were feeling determined now though. You moved your hand lightly again, and you could feel it. Your magic firmly gripped around the mug, and with the movement from your hand, it slowly lifted off the table. You got it about an inch high.

 

“There you go.” Sans whispered, his voice filled with praise. “That's excellent.”

 

You smiled, turning to say something, as the mug fell back to the table with a clatter, splattering coffee.

 

“Dangit, I had it!” Alphys jumped up to grab some napkins to help clean up.

 

“No, that was a great first try!” Sans said, patting you on the back. “A lot of folks can't even do that on their first try. Took Papyrus ages to get it to move at all.” You noticed he was practically glowing, the tired look in his eyes gone. You smiled back.

 

“I...I did it though!” The realization of what you had done suddenly hit, and you giggled in glee. “Oh man, that was awesome! But oh...oh man I'm exhausted.” You wiped the sweat from your brow.

 

“Gets easier the more you practice. It's kinda like doing weight lifting I guess.” Sans said, helping you wipe up the spilled coffee. “So keep at it. You ever need a practicing partner, lemme know. I had to teach Papyrus when he was a baby bones, and he's got great control now.”

 

You smiled as you drank the last of your coffee. While you were reveling in your accomplishment, you realized that Sans was just as filled with glee. You got up and washed out your mug. “I'll totally keep at it. But for now, I gotta get back to that guide for Toriel.”

 

Sans was lost in thought. He hadn't expected you to pick up gravity magic so quickly. He was impressed that you already had good enough control to manage it. He stood up, reaching into one of the small drawers. “Here, eat this before you get back to it.”

 

You turned and found Sans holding a piece of monster candy in his hand. You plucked it from his fingers with a grin. “Oh no, I know where your stash is now.”

 

“Oh no, I have a better stash downstairs, where you can't steal it.”

 

You pouted in jest, unwrapping the candy. You were quickly developing a love of monster candy. Not only did it provide a great pick-me-up, but it came in a huge variety of flavors, all much stronger than any human candy could compare to.

 

“I bet they're all gross ketchup flavored ones.”

 

Sans laughed, a deep laugh that you had only seen a couple times so far.

 

“No, but now I want to find some.”

 

“You're so gross.”

 

That evening you pulled into the drive way at Toriel's home, grinning. You were there to go over the small guide you'd put together, but you also couldn't wait to show her what Sans had helped you learn. It was still warm, even for September. You knew that Toriel and Asgore were neck deep in preparation for the Freedom Festival that was happening next weekend. It was planned to be a full on celebration by both humans and monsters, taking the form of a street fair. You'd offered to help, but Toriel had gently declined, saying the city council was helping her out.

 

You got out of the car, humming Mettaton's latest tune. You noticed Frisk was sitting on the porch, staring at their homework. You were amused to see the potted plant next to them.

 

“Heya Frisk!”

 

“Oh, hi ___!” Frisk smiled, before glaring down at the worksheet they were doing again.

 

“Tough homework?”

 

Frisk sighed. “I hate math.”

 

You laughed. “I do too.”

 

Frisk was silent for a moment. “Aren't you a scientist though? Don't they use lots of math?”

 

You grinned and winked. “Yeah, but I'm a biologist. My math is easier.”

 

Frisk looked amazed. Suddenly, the plant next to them twitched.

 

“She's lying, all math is hard.”

 

You jerked back. Had that plant just....TALKED?? Frisk shook their head.

 

“___ wouldn't lie, would you?”

 

“Uh...of course not but...um...”

 

The flower turned, and you saw that it had a face. One that was currently looking at you with a bored expression.

 

“'Oh my God is that a talking flower.' I'll save you the trouble, yes, I am a talking flower. Now shove off so Frisk can finish this stupid worksheet.”

 

“Flowey, be nice!” Frisk admonished, shaking their head. “Sorry, he gets like this.”

 

“Uh, well, it's nice to meet you...Flowey. Frisk, is your mom inside?”

 

Frisk nodded and returned to their worksheet. “She's probably in the kitchen, go on in.”

 

You waved at Frisk and let yourself in. You could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, as usual. You were about to call out to Toriel when you noticed a much larger monster sitting in the living room, reading a book. You recognized him instantly from the news.

 

Asgore was relaxing in one of the large armchairs, a tiny pair of glasses perched on his massive snout. You'd thought Toriel was a big monster, Asgore made her look tiny. He glanced up when he noticed you, smiling softly.

 

“Ah, you must be ___. Forgive me for intruding on your work with Tori, but I wanted the chance to meet you for myself.”

 

The large monster stood, setting his book and glasses aside. You realized he wasn't wearing the cloak and armor you often saw him in, instead he was wearing a thick sweater and slacks. He crossed the room in only a few steps, offering his hand. You were shaking a bit as you took it, trying to smile, and not think about the fact that he could easily crush your arm with even a small squeeze. You were surprised and relieved that he had a gentle grasp.

 

“Wow...you're King Asgore, oh gosh, it's an honor to meet you sir. And uh...thank you for approving my permit to go underground, I've read so much about it but to get to see it with my own eyes...oh, oh shoot I'm rambling aren't I...”

 

Asgore chuckled. “I seem to have that affect on people. Just call me Asgore, please. And I'm glad such a capable young human is working with our scientists. Alphys and Sans speak highly of you.”

 

You blushed. You didn't really think you were THAT much of a help to be honest, but you were glad that at least Alphys and Sans enjoyed your company.

 

“Asgore, do I hear...oh, hello there ___!” Toriel entered the room, wiping her hands on a large purple apron. “I see you have met Asgore. Come on in, I'm just getting a pot pie in the oven.”

 

You relaxed a bit, and sat in one of the chairs. Asgore returned to his own, smiling.

 

“I hear you and your mother are to thank for these old books getting back to us.” Asgore said with a smile, gesturing to the book he was reading. “I am amazed that they are in such good shape after all this time.”

 

“Some of them were pretty rough, and a lot was lost during the witch hunts a few hundred years ago,” you said, looking at the bookshelf where they had rested. “I was surprised we had as many as we did.”

 

“Well, they are in excellent condition. I hear you are helping my wife with her lecture on the history of the Underground.”

 

You nodded, producing the small guide you'd written up. “Even with those books still in existence, most folks didn't know magic was at all real. After the mages were wiped out all those years ago, it's very uncommon for anyone of any magical ability to be born. There are likely only a handful of mages in the world.”

 

“And I hear that you are one of them?” You winced, glancing to the King. His expression was soft, as if he knew that you would be apprehensive of him knowing.

 

“I'm sorry,” Toriel muttered, “I should have asked if it was okay to tell him.”

 

You shook your head, your heart rate settling again. “It's okay. I know you wouldn't tell anyone who would try to hurt me.”

 

“I must say, I am not surprised that you would be nervous to tell anyone. I have heard about some of the...unsavory things that people do when they are afraid.” Asgore leaned back into his chair with a sigh.

 

“I mean, of all folks, y'all probably understand it best. What it's like to have people react out of fear.” You handed the guide to Toriel for her to look over. “I at least can hide who I am...I can't imagine not being able to hide that away.”

 

Toriel set the guide to the side. “We monsters would never want to hide who we are, even at the risk of harm. Being forced to hide your magic...the essence of who you are, I cannot imagine the pain.”

 

You opened your mouth to say something, but shut it again. It was not an idea you had thought of before. Hiding your magic had always been a natural survival instinct. But for monsters, hiding their magic would be like you hiding your eyes or the fact that you could breathe. In other words...impossible.

 

“I hope to see a world where no one has to hide their magic, who they are, ever again.” Asgore said sternly. You nodded.

 

“Oh, Toriel, You should see the trick Sans taught me today!” You said, grinning. You looked around, and saw that there was a tea cup sitting on one of the side tables. It was a small, delicate thing, you weren't sure at first if you should play with it like that. But it was a small size, and you knew lifting anything too heavy would be hard.

 

Toriel stood watching as you grabbed the cup and put it on the table by Asgore. You held up a finger, bidding your small audience to watch. You held your hand above the cup, focusing on your center. The magic came easier this time, you were careful to grip the cup gently. Your hand and the cup glowed green, and with a small lift of your hand, the cup followed. You let it hover gently in the air for a moment before setting it back down, releasing your focus.

 

Asgore and Toriel were wide eyed, both grinning.

 

“That was wonderful, ___!” Toriel clapped her hand. “You are getting down the control of your magic very quickly!”

 

You grinned back at the two. You could feel that exhaustion trying to set in again. “It's...really hard still. I get really tired when I do even that.”

 

“That is to be expected.” Asgore said, smiling. “I shall make you a cup of tea before you go. That will perk you back up.” Asgore bowed slightly and went to the kitchen. Toriel placed her hands on your shoulder, her eyes full of pride.

 

“You are doing a fantastic job learning, ___. I can tell you have been practicing. Keep at it, and you will be an accomplished mage in no time. And you said Sans taught you that?”

 

You sat in one of the chairs, feeling a wee bit sluggish. “Yeah, he seemed so excited to teach me too.”

 

Toriel smiled warmly. “Sans did a wonderful job teaching his brother how to use magic, I am not surprised that he enjoys the act of teaching. I tried to get him to come teach at the school, but he refused. Said it was too much work.”

 

You laughed. “That sounds like him. Especially given the guy falls asleep at a moment's notice.”

 

Toriel nodded. Asgore entered the room, three cups of tea in his hand. He handed one to Toriel before handing one to you.

 

“He is a very hard worker, do not let the lazy act fool you. He held more jobs underground than any other monster, one or two of them for me.”

 

“He worked for you, Asgore?”

 

Asgore nodded, but seemed to not want to elaborate. You sipped your tea, which quickly filled you with warm, calming magic. You didn't press the idea.

 

“Will you stay for dinner tonight, ___?” Toriel asked, perching herself on the arm of Asgore's large chair.

 

You shook your head. “As much as I love your cooking, Toriel, Papyrus invited me over for Spaghetti and a movie tonight.”

 

Toriel laughed. “I'm glad to see you are getting along with your neighbors so well.”

 

“A little too well, I swear I'm gaining weight with all the good food you all like to give me.”

 

Toriel and Asgore laughed, sharing a knowing grin between them.

 


	8. Into the Underground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, this one took a bit of writing, and a heck of a bit of editing.

  


“Are we there yet?”

“N-n-no, not yet.”

“Don't make me turn this field trip around.”

  


You laughed at Sans' empty threat. The mountain loomed above, but you had been hiking for almost an hour from where you parked your car down at the dirt road. You'd already gone past the security fence that had been erected to keep people out of the area. Carrying all the gear and supplies was making you sweaty. You were each carrying a bag full of vials, bags, and other tools for gathering samples underground.

  


“It's just around this switchback.” Alphys was busy going over her list one last time. “L-lemme go over the p-p-plan one more time. I'm going to take Hotland, d-d-do the core maintenance, and y-you and Sans are gonna head down to Snowdin to start taking samples.”

  


“Alphys, we've gone over the plan three times.” You turned and walked backwards on the trail, facing her. “We're adults, not like I can get lost in this place.”

  


“You'd be surprised.” Sans said, shrugging. “The Underground's a big place.”

  


“Well, as long as I stick by you I should be fine.” You smiled in excitement and turned around before you tripped. You had barely slept last night, you'd been so excited for this trip. You'd read up on the environment underground, at least what info was available, and knew you were in for a treat. You also knew that yes, the underground was huge, and you had no intentions of running off on your own. It still baffled you that a small child like Frisk had made their way through it relatively unscathed.

  


As you rounded the switchback, the gaping maw that had once held the barrier came into view. The roof of the cavern had caved in slightly with the sheer force of the explosion. You stood at the entrance, remembering the shimmering light that had once stood here. You'd visited the barrier several times with your mother, though not since you were a child. To see it gone was...jarring.

  


“C'mon ___, the throne room is just beyond here.”

  


You nodded silently, following Alphys and Sans. The cavern ended in a small corridor with an open doorway. Suddenly you were standing in a large, well lit room. Two large chairs were pushed against the wall, covered in sheets. The floor of the throne room was carpeted in golden flowers. You gazed in awe along the room, dumbfounded.

  


“It's...beautiful.” Sans stood watching you while Alphys continued on.

  


“I'll m-meet you in a few hours. Remember, ___, your cellphone won't get a signal down here, but Sans' will, s-s-so holler if you n-need anything.”

  


You watched the small monster bustle off through the room. She seemed to be going through the only exit you could see.

  


“We not going that way?” You asked, gesturing at the door. Sans chuckled and shook his head.

  


“Nah. I gotta shortcut down to Snowdin Forest.” He held out his hand. “You gotta hold my hand for it though.”

  


You cocked a brow at him in question, which he didn't seem to want to answer.

  


“What, don't trust me not to wander off?”

  


“Nope, I trust ya. It's for...” Suddenly the world felt like it tipped on its side, and in a half second, you were standing in the snow. For a moment, before your head rush threatened to make you fall over. Sans held firm to your hand, keeping you upright. “...it's for that.”

  


“What the f...” You glanced around. You were standing next to a large stone door carved into the wall of the cavern. Before you was a path through a dense grouping of trees. You realized it was cold, and snow coated the ground thickly. “How the...what did you just do?”

  


Sans let go of your hand once he was sure you could stand upright. “Told ya, shortcut.”

  


“Was that...did you just....teleport!?” You couldn't even look at the area around you, you were focused on him.

  


Sans shrugged, but he had a knowing grin on his face, looking smug. “Somethin like that.”

  


“How in the world...you know what, never mind. That was AWESOME!” You heard your shriek echo lightly off the trees. You turned to really look around now.

  


“We're...lemme think...is this the entrance to the ruins?” Sans nodded as you ran your hand down the carved door.

  


“Figured I'd let ya see all of it.” Sans was smiling now. You started out at a brisk pace, he was able to keep up with you easily.

  


“How...how is there snow here? And these trees, there's no sunlight!”

  


“Magic.” Sans said, waving his fingers. You laughed.

  


“Why do I figure that's gonna be the answer for most of my questions today.” You continued on, looking around. Far above you, you could see clouds hugging the cathedral ceiling of the cavern. It was surprisingly light here, enough that you could see well at least. As you walked you pulled out the list of samples Alphys wanted.

  


“Okay, one sample of Snowdin Forest snow.” You pulled out the small test tube and bent over to fill it with snow. “This'll just be water by the time we're out, right?”

  


“Nope. Snowdin snow doesn't melt.” You were about to ask, but shut your mouth. Sans laughed.

  


Soon you came upon a small crevasse with a bridge over it. A large gate with wide spaced poles stood over it. You looked at Sans questioningly.

  


“My bro built that, to keep out humans.” He ran his hand over it as you walked beneath it. “Obviously it didn't work, but he gets points for trying.”

  


Soon you came upon a small clearing, in which sat a strangely shaped lamp and a small wooden station. Sans ducked behind the wooden station, checking for something.

  


“Aha, wondered if I'd left a bottle down here.” Sans stood up with a large ketchup bottle in his hand.

  


“How can you drink that stuff straight?” You asked, making a face. Sans took a swig, then swirled the container in his hand.

  


“Hey, this is Grillby's special recipe. It's just that good.”

  


“I've seen you drink the regular stuff too.”

  


“That's also good. But Grillby's is the best.”

  


You shook your head, moving onward. “You're gross.”

  


“Nah, you're grosser. You _digest_ this stuff.”

  


You laughed. “At least I can stomach your jokes.”

  


Sans chuckled. “That was pretty humerus kid, gotta admit I'm not boned up on human anatomy jokes.”

  


After a short period you came upon another sentry station. It was practically falling apart. You noticed a sign, realizing it was built by Papyrus.

  


“Wait, then was that your station back there?”

  


“Yup.”

  


“You were a sentry?”

  


Sans nodded. “Undyne called me the worst sentry in the history of the guard. I took that title with pride.”

  


You rolled your eyes. Soon another station came into view.

  


“You really were ready for humans to come out of the ruins, weren't ya?”

  


Sans nodded. “Had to be. Never knew what kind of human was comin outta there.” His voice had taken a dark tone. You were about to ask, but something told you that you didn't want to know.

  


The two of you walked on for a while longer, Sans pointing out traps that his brother had set. Thankfully they were all deactivated. After a short time, you realized how high up you were, seeing even more trees dotting the very bottom of the cavern. The place was enormous, you couldn't see the sides of the place. You tried to not focus on how high up you were.

  


Finally, the two of you approached a long bridge over a chasm.

  


“Snowdin's just on the other side.” Sans said, starting across. You stood at the start of the bridge, looking down. It was a long, long way down.

  


“Uh...yeah...”

  


“What's the matter kid, you afraid of heights?” You glanced up at Sans, shaking. “Oh shit, yeah you are. C'mere.”

  


Sans walked back and offered his hand. You took it again, still glancing down nervously.

  


“Hey, I won't let ya fall. Focus on me, it's not too far.”

  


You swallowed, and inched your way onto the bridge. Sans took it at your pace, staying just ahead of you. You knew that looking down was a bad idea, so you looked up instead. As you inched across the bridge, you focused on the feeling of Sans' hand firmly grasping yours. You realized, he was warmer than you expected. The bone was still hard, but not uncomfortable. If anything, his hand grasping yours made you feel safer.

  


You'd never been so relieved to feel snow under your feet, finally pulling your eyes from the ceiling. Snowdin town laid before you. The small wooden buildings were neat and tidy, the snow surprisingly still packed down tight. The lights were all off, but you had a feeling that when there were monsters here, it was a cozy place.

  


“There's the old Inn and Shop. Tunnel entrance, there, in the igloo.” Sans pointed as he spoke, you following behind him. “There's Grillby's old place. I ate there pretty much every day.”

  


“I still haven't tried Grillby's food, actually.” Sans glanced at you like you had three heads.

  


“Okay, we get back topside, we're fixing that immediately.”

  


You laughed and nodded. Sans shook his head in disbelief and continued on. You passed a few small buildings, including the “libarby” (“Don't ask.”), before the two of you came upon a small, two storied home. You noticed the mailboxes out front read “Papyrus” and “sans”.

  


“How bout we go in and warm up a bit. Not much left in there, but it's a good spot to take a break.”

  


You didn't realize how cold you were. You'd been looking at everything in wonder. Sans unlocked the door, and you stomped your feet off as you entered. The house was fairly dark, but you could faintly see an old rumpled couch still sitting in the front room.

  


“Got that from the dump, it's comfy, but it's seen better days. Got a new one when we moved above ground.”

  


You flopped down on the couch, your boots were killing your feet. “So this was home?”

  


Sans sighed and looked around. “Yeah, wasn't much, but it was a good home. Worked a lot of jobs to keep us here.”

  


“Wait, so you were more than a sentry?”

  


Sans nodded. “Sentry, worked four shifts at once, illegal hot-dog vendor, had a telescope I let folks use for a fee, Judge, what else...” he said, counting off on his fingers.

  


“Wait, illegal hot-dog vendor?”

  


“No permit.”

  


You giggled. “You don't have that many jobs now I hope.”

  


Sans plopped down on the couch, looking very at home on it. “Nah, just the job with the lab. Tori made me promise to not work so much.”

  


“Probably for the best, when did you have time to sleep?”

  


Sans leaned back and closed his eyes. “Always time to sleep.”

  


For a moment, it looked like he would fall asleep right there, prompting you to grab a throw pillow and toss it at his head. “C'mon lazy bones, just a short break. Anything else we need to grab here?”

  


Sans didn't move. “Oh, a water sample from the river. It's just up the way, that path by the libarby. You wanna grab it?”

  


“What happened to 'don't get separated?'” You picked up the pillow from off his face. He was grinning.

  


“You're a big girl, it's not that far away. If you hit the bridge of death, you've gone too far.”

  


You huffed, throwing the pillow back down on his face. “Fine, I'll be right back.”

  


You walked back out into the cold, shivering. You were still marveling at the fact that this place seemed to have it's own weather system. As you followed Sans' instructions, it even began to snow. You tilted your head back and smiled.

  


“If only you could have been here, Mom.” you whispered. You felt the tears trying to climb your throat, but you shoved them down. Tears later, you needed to keep going. Soon you found a small outcrop above a flowing river. Taking out the appropriately labeled vial, you filled the container with frigidly cold water. You remembered Alphys mentioning that this river was channeled into the core for cooling. Considering the core was located in a magma pit, you wondered how cold the water was by the time it reached there. Stoppering the vial, you turned on your heels and followed your steps back. The snow was falling with earnest now.

  


As you turned the bend, you saw that Sans was standing on the front step, looking up at the snowfall.

  


“Does it do this often?” You asked, tucking the vial into your pack.

  


“Usually once or twice a day.” Sans answered softly, turning to smile at you. “Ready to move on?”

  


“Wait, I want a picture!” You pulled out your cellphone, and aimed down towards the rest of town. You were glad you'd sprung for one with a decent camera, taking a lovely photo of Snowdin Town under falling snow.

  


You pocketed your phone, gesturing that you were ready. Sans led the way past a small shed and down the snowy path. It didn't take long before you realized you were facing a huge bank of thick fog. You couldn't see what was on the other side.

  


“Just keep walking, you'll get through it.” Sans said, disappearing into the mist. You trotted after him, very quickly enveloped. You could barely see two inches in front of your face.

  


“Wait, Sans! Come back here, where am I going?” He didn't respond, though you thought you heard a snicker in front of you. “You jerk, where'd you go?” You blindly continued forward, hoping Sans would stop you if you were going the wrong way.

  


You shrieked as something touched your arm. “Not funny, Sans!” You couldn't even hear him walking anymore. You stopped, forcing yourself to not turn, or you'd really be lost. You felt a tug on your jacket. “Goddamnit!”

  


“ _Mist_ me?” Sans said, directly against your ear. You yelped again, seeing his form retreating into the fog. You could feel your cheeks burning.

  


“I...I swear to God Sans, I'm spiking all your ketchup at work with mustard!” You heard a worried noise from behind you, and felt Sans gently push you in the correct direction.

  


In a few moments, the fog lifted, and you felt warm, humid air hit your face. The cavern was smaller here, and you could hear rushing water. Water was falling from the ceiling in small streams, echoing off the cave walls. Sans was standing just inside the entrance, smiling. You lightly bopped him on the shoulder as you walked past him.

  


A short way in, you came to another sentry station. It looked exactly like the station in Snowdin. Sans ducked behind it, checking for anything left behind.

  


“This was your station too?”

  


“Yup. Had to be at this one more often, Undyne actually came to this one sometimes.”

  


You shot a bemused glance his way before continuing on. A large waterfall fell here, with rocks falling from it regularly. They were pretty decently sized too.

  


“How bout I get us to the spot we need to be?” Sans said, watching you size up the waterfall.

  


“Ooo, with warning this time!” You grinned. “Wait, how does that even work? And don't tell me “magic,” that's not a good answer.”

  


Sans chuckled and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “Got me there. Uh, it's a highly advanced form of magic, s'far as I know I'm the only one who can do it. I just...cut a path through space? Essentially?”

  


You gawked at him, eyes wide. “Okay, it can't be as simple as 'I defy all rules of space and time, no biggie.'”

  


“Well, there's a LOT of math and quantum physics involved. It's...real confusing if you don't know the theorems.”

  


“Holy hell, I knew you were smart, but DAMN.” You planted your hand on your hips. “Okay, so you use magic to tear open holes in space. Somewhere, Einstein is rolling in his grave.”

  


Sans laughed. “Yeah, you got it. Anyone or anything that has to come with me has to be firmly touching me or...well...bad things happen.” He seemed to stress the last bit of his sentence. “I don't wanna know what would happen if you were randomly thrown into the space between...space. So, y'know, if I'm teleporting you, you gotta hold on.”

  


“Good to know.” You said, holding out your hand. Sans took it firmly, then a mischievous look crossed his face.

  


“Okay, close your eyes.”

  


“Hey, I didn't have to do that last time!”

  


“I know. Might help with the dizziness.”

  


“Gee, thanks for warning me about that.” You closed your eyes, and instantly, you felt the ground below you shift violently. It only took a second, before you felt your feet firmly under you again.

  


You were standing in a small, dimly lit corridor. Sans let go of your hand, grinning. “Better?”

  


“Yeah, better that time.”

  


“M'kay. Now, look up.”

  


You shot him a confused glance, before you tilted your head up, a small gasp escaping your lips. The high ceiling was dotted with tiny, glowing crystals, looking very much like the night sky. You laughed in awe.

  


“Oh my God. It's just like the night sky...”

  


“Nah, the sky is infinitely better, but this was the closest thing we had.” You looked down and glanced at Sans, who was watching you with a smile. “And now, we need a few of those crystals.”

  


“How the heck are we gonna get up there?” You glanced up again. You estimated it was roughly thirty feet to the closest crystals. When you glanced at Sans again, he had a happy grin, and wiggled his fingers.

  


“Magic. More specifically, gravity magic.”

  


You looked at him puzzled for a moment, before it began to dawn on you. “Wait...you wanna lift me up there...with gravity magic?”

  


Sans nodded. “Easiest way. But if you don't like heights, then I could...”

  


“I wanna do it!” You shouted, jumping up and down. “I know you won't let me fall!”

  


Sans was silent for a moment before he grinned again, and you swore you saw a light blue light dusting his cheeks. “Well, that settles it I guess.” He reached into the bag he'd been carrying, pulling out a tiny crowbar and a small canvas bag. “Okay, first rule of gravity magic, don't flail around, your center of gravity will be effected and it'll make you spin. Second rule, lemme know if you get nauseated, I really don't want to find out what you had for breakfast.”

  


You laughed, taking the tool and bag from him. “Mkay, got it. So do I just like...stand here?”

  


Sans leaned against the nearby wall, his hands folded behind his head. “Yup. Guess this is a good lesson on magic use though. I effect your gravity by essentially using my magic to grab your soul. You'll feel it in your chest when my magic is grabbing you. I'm not going to hurt you with it, so don't freak out.”

  


Sans lifted one hand, and you watched as blue light surrounded it. You then felt a very sturdy tug in your soul. You had to admit, it was a bit startling, but as you let it flow through you, you realized, you were feeling Sans' magic. It felt warm, and safe. Sans waited, watching to see how you reacted. You nodded, urging him on.

  


Sans lifted his hand, and you felt yourself suddenly get lighter. Your hair began to float on it's own, and slowly you lifted off the ground. You began to laugh uncontrollably. You were giddy with the feeling of lightness and the pull of Sans' magic. He was careful, lifting you toward the high ceiling.

  


“Oh my God Sans, this is so COOL!” You shouted down to him. He was watching you carefully. “I know some physics professors who would be wanting to talk your ear off about this!”

  


Sans chuckled. Finally, your ascent slowed, and you could inspect the crystals more carefully. They looked almost like quartz of some kind, (You wished you'd paid more attention to your one geology course you took), glowing softly in a variety of colors. You started to pry them off the ceiling, they came away from the rock surface rather easily. As you reached above you, you leaned back into the magic, and soon you were practically laying down in the air, removing the stones and carefully stowing them in the bag. You were still giddy.

  


“Okay, I think I got enough!” You looked down, and slowly you began to lower to the floor. Sans was standing right below you, watching with an amused grin. You were beginning to learn how to read his face, you realized, noting the slight changes in his ever present smile. You also realized you could feel slight fluctuations in the magic coursing through your body.

  


“Dude, this is the coolest thing ever. And I'm not even scared, not even this high!”

  


Sans smiled. “Told ya you were safe.”

  


“Wait, I gotta take a selfie like this!” You pulled your camera out of your pocket, pointing it so that Sans was also in the shot, down below. You pulled a giant grin, and saw that he was giving the peace sign in the background.

  


“Wait, I can make it better, if you're okay.” Sans said. You looked down at him, quizzically. Sans gestured with his hand, and you felt your center of mass turn. You were very suddenly upside down, looking up at Sans. You were surprised none of the bags fell off you. You started giggling again, grabbing a selfie of you with Sans essentially on the ceiling. Once you were done, Sans carefully righted you again before bringing you downward.

  


“It's a good thing I trust you so much.” you said, laughing. You were feeling a little lightheaded.

  


You noticed now the blue light on Sans' cheeks were brighter. Was he...blushing? You decided to not point it out.

  


“Okay, obvious question, how much can you lift like this?”

  


Sans laughed. “About a person size, usually. I could probably lift a car if I really wanted to, but that takes a lot of magic, I'd be worn out. Too lazy.”

  


You snickered. “I mean, isn't gravity magic basically the ultimate tool of laziness though? I'm starting to use it to hold my coffee cup when I pour.”

  


Sans snickered too, lifting his hand to take yours and help you re-orient yourself. “That's childs play. Wait until you can eat an entire meal using gravity magic. Used to do it to annoy Paps.”

  


With your feet on the ground, you felt Sans' magic dissipate, and for a moment, you were disappointed. Not by the return of your own gravity, but Sans' magic had felt...comforting. You slipped the bag of stones into your bag, along with the tool.

  


“So what's next?”

  


Sans held out his hand again, taking hold as you closed your eyes without question. You realized that Sans could have taken you anywhere at this point, but for some reason, you really did trust him implicitly. The ground shifted again, and you opened your eyes.

  


You were standing along a glowing canal. The water around you glowed a brilliant cyan color, lighting the area around you. Large blue flowers sat at the water's edge, glowing with the same blue light.

  


You were suddenly reminded of the beach your mother had taken you to as a child. You'd been awoken late one night, and when you stepped out on the beach, you'd discovered the water glowing with blue light. You later learned that it was a bloom of bio-luminescent plankton, but you'd always been awed by the sight of an entire shoreline of glowing blue.

  


“You okay there, kid?”

  


You shook yourself out of your memories to look at Sans.

  


“This is....I was just remembering somewhere my Mom took me. This is so gorgeous.”

  


Sans watched you with an unreadable look to his eye.

  


“We went to a glowing plankton beach once when I was a kid. I've always been fascinated by the stuff. But this...this is...amazing...” You were glancing around the area with awe, your heart trilling in fascination at the flora around you.

  


You stepped closer to the water's edge. You couldn't see the bottom through the glow, and the water seemed still. You bent down and dipped your fingers in the cool water, watching the light swirl around your finger tips. You looked up at Sans with a grin.

  


“Are we grabbing a sample of this too?”

  


Sans was silent for a moment. “Yeah...yeah sorry. Here.”

  


Sans handed you the labeled vial, and you dunked it under the water, filling it quickly. “Man, this is just magic? Can't be.” You held the vial up to your face, watching the glowing light swirl. “Plankton? Mineral deposits from the glowing rocks?”

  


Sans chuckled warmly. “If I remember, it's a weird combo of all three.”

  


You shrugged and tucked the vial away.

  


“These flowers are amazing too. Look how big they are!”

  


“Look how big they are...” the flower repeated. You jumped back for a second, your already wide grin going even wider.

  


“Echo Flowers!”

  


Sans laughed again, amused at your joy. The flowers around you echoed your shout. You giggled, thinking for a moment, before you leaned in to the flower, whispering.

  


The flower was silent for a moment, before it whispered back.

  


“Butts.”

  


You cracked up laughing, joined quickly by Sans, clutching his sides.

  


“That was the first thing I said to them too!” Sans said through his wheezing. “Once got the entire field to shout that at once. Papyrus nearly throttled me.”

  


“I mean, what else are you supposed to do with something that repeats what you say!” You said, trying to breathe. The two of you took a few moments to compose yourself.

  


“Okay, I have to get some nectar samples, and we need a newly budding one.” Sans said, still wheezing slightly. “Can you look for one that hasn't fully bloomed yet?”

  


“Can do!” You said with a grin, and took off into the cavern, looking through the giant flowers. You could hear the echos of your laughter bouncing around the cavern now, which made you smile.

  


After some looking around, you found a small, curled flower. It was just starting to peek petals out. You carefully bent down and grabbed a small trowel from your bag. You were about to start to losen the soil around it when you noticed movement out of the corner of your eye.

  


You turned and realized there was a small....pile of jello? It was wiggling at you. It took you a moment to realize that it was a monster.

  


“Oh, hi there, I'm sorry, is this your echo flower?”

  


The monster wiggled. You had a vague sense that it was trying to tell you that it wasn't it's flower.

  


“Do you mind if I take this?”

  


The monster wiggled again in a sort of...no? You weren't sure why you could tell what it was trying to communicate. You nodded and continued to carefully pull the echo flower from the soil. The small monster sat beside you, wiggling happily. You pulled a small pouch from your bag and wrapped it around the root ball of the echo flower. You looked down at the jello creature, and smiled, wiggling your shoulders. It wiggled back with great ferocity, but with a gleeful feel to it.

  


“I see you made a friend.” You looked up to see Sans watching with a gentle smile on his face. You had no idea how long it had been there.

  


“It uh...it just came up to me. And I could...kinda understand it?” Sans raised a brow, looking impressed.

  


“Huh. Monsters like Moldsmalls,” he gestured to the little jello creature, “Are hard for humans to understand, they speak only in magic. I guess you being a mage, you can at least kind of understand it.”

  


You looked down at the small creature. “Well, I'd say we had an okay conversation, wouldn't you?”

  


The Moldsmall wiggled in agreement. Sans still had that soft smile on his face. You held up the echo flower for him, which he gently tucked into his bag.

  


“Do we need anything else?”

  


Sans was quiet for a moment. “Oh...yeah...”

  


“You okay?”

  


You placed your hand on his shoulder. He seemed to snap back to reality.

  


“Yeah...yeah sorry. I just...a lot of memories in this place is all.”  
  


You smiled softly at him. Of course this place would be full of memories. He'd lived his whole life down here.

  


“We're done down here. Past here is Hotland anyway. Let's head to the core and see if Alphys is done.” Sans offered his hand, which you took, closing your eyes as the world spun. In an instant, the cool moist air was replaced with hot, dry air, the shock making you feel a bit sick for a moment. You were standing just outside a door to a large control room. Sans opened the door and you quickly made your way inside.

  


Through the windows on the other side, you could see the hulking mass of the core. You were no mechanical engineer, but it was an impressive sight. As you entered the dark control room, the door opposite you opened, and Alphys walked through, humming.

  


“O-oh! You're done?” She jerked back at first when she realized you were there. You nodded enthusiastically.

  


“This place is so cool!” You bounced a bit. “Man I could wander Waterfall forever, that place is beautiful!”

  


Alphys nodded. “It was my favorite place too...cause it's where Undyne lived, heh.” She blushed heavily. “Sans, did you place the recorders?”

  


Sans nodded, leaning back on an inactive console. Alphys picked up her bag from one of the tables.

  


“T-t-then we're all done here. The core is running just fine. We should g-g-get down the mountain before it gets too late.”

  


Sans held out his hand for you and Alphys to take. As the world flashed, a thought occurred to you.

  


“How come you didn't...do this instead of make us walk up the mountain?” You asked as the world swirled around you, landing you on the path a ways before the fence.

  


Sans shrugged. “Wouldn't have been as much fun.” You rolled your eyes.

  


“U-u-u-uh, guys?” Alphys stammered, backing up slowly.

  


You turned to see what was making her so nervous.

  


Down at the gate through the security fence was a gaggle of reporters.

  


Who had all just noticed you.

  


  


   



	9. Attack of the Papparazzi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this one being a wee bit short. But figured it would take aaages to get it to y'all if I tried to tack it onto the next chapter. Also thank you all so much for all the kind comments and all the kudos! Y'all keep me going, ya bunch of lovelies!

You froze on the path, hearing the click of cameras. Sans' hand was on your arm.

 

“We can get outta here if you want...”

 

You were about to agree when a voice carried through the crowd of reporters.

 

“Excuse me, I have NOT started this press briefing yet.” You watched as the crowd parted to reveal the titular Mettaton waving reporters back away from the fence. “I WILL delay this event if you cannot behave yourselves!”

 

You heard Sans growling curses next to you. Mettaton let himself in the gate, and put up a hand to the reporters, keeping them corralled like a pack of dogs. Mettaton flipped his hair and turned, stalking towards you, kneading the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

 

“I swear they get more brazen every day...Hello Alphys, Sans.” Mettaton stopped before you and knelt down, taking your hand. “I would have preferred to meet under more...private conditions, my dear. I'm sorry this is being sprung on such a lovely young woman.”

 

You were blushing now, your heart a confusing mix of excited about meeting the one and only Mettaton, and anxiety over the pack of rabid journalists who were staring at you through the fence.

 

“How the hell did they find out about this?” Sans' voice was low and tight, you could hear the implied threat in it.

 

Mettaton shook his head. “I have no idea. I'm lucky I have some friends at the local tv station that warned us that the info had been leaked. Alphys, I need you to do another run through of all of King Asgore's tech and security.”

 

Alphys nodded, sweating buckets as she tried to not look at all the reporters. You noticed that TV cameras were coming out. Mettaton gently placed his hands on your shoulders.

 

“My dear, you are made for television, but I understand if you want to call this off. I would love to have you on my morning show, or perhaps King Asgore could release a statement...but...” Mettaton looked back at the reporters. “It would be good to show humans and monsters working side by side, especially since so many want to visit the underground for themselves.”

 

You nodded slowly, thinking. Of course people would be interested in talking to someone who'd gotten to go underground. This really could be a good thing...if you didn't mess it up.

 

“I...give me a moment to collect my thoughts, okay? I...I don't improvise well.” You stammered, twisting the hem of your shirt in your fingers. “What do they want to know?”

 

Mettaton gave you a heart stopping smile. You would have swooned if your brain wasn't so tied up in other things. “They will likely just ask what you thought of the place, why you work for the lab, maybe some questions about you. Looks like they at least have your name.”

 

You nodded, a trembling fear gnawing at the back of your skull. How much about you had they learned? “I...I should be able to handle that. Gimme two minutes to calm down.”

 

Mettaton nodded, and stood tall again, headed toward the reporters to give them the news. You turned away from the many faces and cameras, trying to take deep breaths. You noticed that Sans' hand hadn't left your arm.

 

“You sure about this, kid?” His eye lights were trained on you, studying your face as you tried to calm yourself. “You tell me you're done and we'll be back in the lab instantly, okay?”

 

You nodded. Alphys placed her clawed hand on your other arm, but she seemed unable to speak. You could feel her shaking slightly. You tried to think of this as giving a presentation to a class. You'd done plenty of those. You'd answered questions as a TA before too...this was no different...right?

 

Save that who knows how many people would be watching. Yeah, don't think about that.

 

You finally had stalled for long enough. You smoothed back your hair, took one last deep breath, and turned, walking toward the gate with Sans and Alphys in tow. While you had been gathering yourself, Mettaton had moved the reporters away, organizing them in a semi circle around the gate. You also noted he left a clear path out through the crowd, which you appreciated. Cameras were already blinking when you walked through the gate.

 

“Now, let's keep this organized and calm. You may ask the first question, Miss.”

 

“Rachel Anderson from the Ebbot News Network. Can you give us your name, and why you were selected to be the first human to enter the underground after the fall of the barrier?”

 

Microphones were held forward, and you smiled at the cameras, and the woman, for at least being civil.

 

“My name is ____. I'm an intern and assistant at the New Hotland Lab, and a student at Ebott University. I cannot speak to why King Asgore allowed me to be the first human, besides the ambassador, to go underground, but due to the...scientific nature of the trip, I think I was the best to go with his top scientists.”

 

One question down. You could do this.

 

“Mark Zubai, The Valley Times, what was the nature of this visit underground?”

 

“We were sent to take some samples of the flora and fauna underground, as well as place some geological survey equipment for the university. The underground is...well...a marvel of nature. I'm a Biology major, and...the sheer complexity of the environment underground, I think we'll be studying it for a long time to come.”

 

“Why do you think King Asgore is disallowing humans to enter the underground at this time?”

 

You sighed. “I don't know his reasons but...if I had to guess...” You shook your head. “We humans...are not always good at preserving such rare spectacles of nature. Think of the underground as...the most delicate national park in existence. The more humans we allow down there...the higher chance that the balance of that nature will be thrown off.”

 

You watched as several reporters and journalists nodded in agreement.

 

“I will tell you though...it's beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. And I think we should protect it as best as we can. Who knows what kinds of knowledge we could gain from such a place saturated in pure magic. It is in both Monster and Human interest that we protect this place.”

 

You were feeling pretty good. For a moment, it looked like they were all satisfied with your answers. Everyone was smiles as they jotted notes. You felt Sans place his hand on your back, when you glanced at him, he was smiling in pride.

 

“Miss ___, uh, one more question?”

 

You turned, nodding.

 

“Is it true you were kicked out of your dorm for being a mage?”

 

There was a beat of silence, and then everything seemed to move in slow motion. You heard a flurry of questions, but the sounds of the voices around you became muted and muddy. Mettaton flew in front of you, blocking you from the cameras and the yelling reporters. You felt Sans grab onto your arm, Alphys grab onto your other arm. Your breath was choked in your throat, and your heart still. You felt yourself attempt to choke out some kind of answer, before your legs gave out.

 

The world spun for a moment, and your knees landed on the tile floor of the laboratory. You could feel yourself crying, shaking, but everything felt like it was far away. Your brain was flooded with fear. You could hear Sans talking sternly to Alphys. Your eyes were blurring with the tears. Something warm was slipped over your shoulders, and Sans was kneeling on the floor in front of you, his hands on your shoulders, trying to talk to you. You looked up into his concerned eye lights.

 

“____!”

 

Time seemed to resume again.

 

“No. No no no no no...” You crumpled into yourself, sobbing. Sans pulled you forward into his chest as you sobbed. “How did they...oh god on television...everyone will...they'll kill me, they'll hurt me, they'll...”

 

Sans gripped onto you tightly. “___, shhh, you're safe. You're safe here. We won't let them hurt you. Breathe, slow down.”

 

You shakily reached and grabbed the front of Sans' shirt. You were hiccuping and hyperventilating, the fear still crowding out your senses. “You won't....Sans, they'll...you're all in danger...cause of me...”

 

Sans shook his head, resting his chin on the top of your skull. “No, we're safe...the lab is the safest place in the world. Alphys turned on the high security system, no one is getting in here.”

 

Alphys padded over, bending slightly. “I...I just talked to Mettaton, the guy was from the local tabloid. The news stations...they're gonna edit that part out.”

 

You inhaled sharply. The whole world wouldn't see that? Oh...oh that wasn't so bad...

 

“See?” Sans said, rubbing your back as you sat up slightly. “We're gonna keep you safe, kid.”

 

“I uh...did have to tell Mettaton the truth though...” Alphys stammered, wringing her hands.

 

You nodded, not trusting your mouth yet. Mettaton had really been so sweet with you before, you hoped this wouldn't change how he thought about you. Sans pulled at whatever had been placed over your shoulders down under your chin. You realized he'd taken off his hoodie and thrown it over your shoulder like a blanket. You sniffled, wiping tears out of your eyes. You'd managed to soak his shirt. Whoops.

 

“Sorry...sorry I...got my gross human self all...all over you there...Sans...”

 

Sans looked down and chuckled. “I think I'll survive. Snot the first time I've gotten human on me. Have you seen the grime that comes with a kid like Frisk?”

 

You laughed despite yourself. His nervous grin grew softer. He patted your shoulder.

 

“I'm gonna go grab something, you okay here? Alphys is gonna stay here with you.”

 

You nodded as Alphys handed you a box of tissues. God you were a mess, you realized, coming down from the panic attack. Sans helped you up off the floor, and you flopped into a chair. He smiled at you, then disappeared.

 

“You...you wanna help me organize the samples?” Alphys asked after a moment of silence.

 

“Oh god, that's why we went there in the first place, huh. Oh, that echo flower, I totally forgot, is it damaged?”

 

Alphys held up the small echo flower she was transferring to a pot. “It's fine. You picked a good one, it's nice and strong.”

 

You were about to get up when you felt the weight of Sans' hoodie on your shoulders. You threw your arms through the sleeves. The hoodie had a smell of faint ketchup, books, and...a smell you couldn't describe other than 'Sans'. It was quite comforting, actually.

 

You pulled out the various labeled vials, putting them where Alphys asked. She had grabbed some water from the core, as well as a magma sample in a special container that could withstand the heat. It had already cooled considerably, but she still stored it in a special heat-proof container.

 

You felt shaky and tired, your brain muddied by the panic attack. That was the worst side effect you'd noticed of those kinds of events. You felt slow and stupid afterwards. After a few moments, you simply collapsed back in the chair. You zipped Sans' hoodie up, tucking your knees into it and pulling your arms back in. Alphys stayed near you, talking you through the many tests they would be running on these samples.

 

After what seemed an eternity to your still out of sorts brain, Sans returned. In his hands were several take out bags that immediately filled the room with the smell of greasy burgers and fries. Just the kind of thing you needed now.

 

“Oh my God those smell amazing.” You sighed, pulling your arms through the sleeves of Sans' hoodie again.

 

“I told you we needed to solve you never having Grillby's food immediately.” He handed you a bag. “Hope a burg with everything on it is okay.”

 

You happily grabbed the bag as Alphys ran to the kitchenette to get sodas for everyone. The burger was wrapped in foil, still hot off the grill. When you unwrapped it, you were already salivating. The burger honestly looked exactly like every advertisement burger you had ever seen, too perfect. You took a bite...oh man.

 

“Saaaans.” You groaned. He stopped mid bite to look at you, a blue blush rising to his cheeks. “You've ruined me.”

 

“Hmm?” He looked at you with slight concern.

 

“I'm never going to be able to eat another burger again. They'll never taste this damn good.” You said after swallowing, feeling the tingle of magic hit your stomach and fill you with warmth. “Why is monster food so freaking GOOD??”

 

Sans wiggled his fingers at you. “Do I even need to say it?”

 

You laughed. You could feel the tension of your panic melting away. You tucked back into the burger with gusto. Every bite made the fear and the cold in your bones dissipate. By the time you were done, you were back to chatting happily with Sans and Alphys.

 

After helping Sans finish off his fries (despite him trying and failing to bat your hands away), you stood and stretched. Alphys gathered the wrappers and bags and tossed them.

 

“How about I shortcut you home, kid?” Sans asked, leaning back in his chair. “Shouldn't be anyone bugging us, but better safe than sorry.”

 

You nodded. “Sounds good. I'm...exhausted, actually.”

 

Sans chuckled and stood up, offering you his hand. “Not surprising. See ya tomorrow, Alphys.”

 

You bid Alphys good night as well, and took Sans hand. The world swirled again, though you were quickly getting used to the feel. You were left standing in the hallway outside your apartments. Once your footing was stable again, you remembered that you still had Sans' hoodie on. You quickly unzipped it and pulled it off.

 

“Hey Sans?” You folded the hoodie into your arms. “Thanks for...y'know, being so awesome about these panic attack things. I've never come down off of one so fast as I do with you.”

 

Sans smiled, his eyes relaxed and bright. “Hey, anything for my favorite human.”

 

You felt your heart leap a bit, for just a moment, as you handed back the hoodie. You could feel your cheeks heat a bit.

 

Sans took the hoodie in his arm, and waved good night. “You have any problems tonight, call me and let me know, okay? And don't worry, I'll tell Papyrus, but I won't let him come try to baby you.”

 

You giggled at the thought. You wouldn't put it past Papyrus to want to make sure you were okay. “I'll...I'll be fine. See ya tomorrow.”

 

You walked into your apartment, and as you closed your door, you felt that little skip in your heart again.

 

You were Sans' favorite human?

 


	10. Insomnia Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooorrry for the delay! Been super busy again, BUT tonight I'm sitting down and fleshing out an outline for this story! So updates might be a little faster. Maybe. 
> 
> Thank you all SO MUCH for all the nice comments. I apologize for not answering them, trying to keep the comment count correct. If you have questions about the story, you can hit me up on my tumblr, missalyxxxa.tumblr.com.

Your alarm woke you the next morning, groggy and with a slight headache. As you turned the alarm app on your phone off, you noticed you had a slew of text messages.

 

**Tori 11pm**

___, you did a wonderful job on the news with the interview!

Asgore and I are so proud of how well you handled yourself!!

I'm sorry we didn't have the time to warn you about it.

Sans and Alphys have assured us that they're going to recheck the security system.

 

**Tori 11:20pm**

Mettaton just told me about the tabloid incident!

I am SO SORRY this has happened. We will be dealing with it.

Again, very proud of how you handled it!

 

Aww, you thought to yourself. Some part of your heart was swelling with pride knowing you lived up to Tori's expectations of you. Honestly, the sweet goat monster very much reminded you of your own mother.

 

The next text was from a number you didn't recognize.

 

**??? 11pm**

Darling, you did a fantastic job with the interview! You are a TV natural! I simply must get you on my morning show one of these days!

 

(Ah, Mettaton. You made a mental note to add him to your contacts.)

 

Oh, and about the tabloid. Don't worry a bit. I've bought out that flimsy rag and will be making sure none of what was said is printed. In fact, I plan to find out just who blabbed to them in the first place.

 

Oh. You sat up slowly. You felt yourself tearing up at Mettaton's concern. How sweet of him! You made another mental note to thank him in person when you had the chance.

 

**Bonehead 5:30am**

please for the love of Asgore, pick up a coffee for me on your way in.

been doing security since last night

I may actually be dying

 

You laughed as you finally got out of bed, running your fingers through your hair.

 

**You**

Any requests?

 

**Bonehead**

muffet makes something called an insomnia shot.

I need that.

I'll pay you later

thanks

 

**You**

I'll see what I can brew about it

 

**Bonehead**

I can't espresso my gratitude

ive bean grinding away all night

and ive got a brewtal headache

 

**You**

STAP. Those were awful.

 

You had to admit, you couldn't help but laugh at the string of puns. He really did seem to have a million of them. You spent your shower trying to come up with more coffee based puns, but you were still half asleep yourself. In fact, a nice cup of something strong sounded pretty good right now. You quickly donned a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It was still just warm enough outside to go without a coat, but that was going to end soon.

 

You had visited Muffet's cafe a few times, after getting over you initial wariness over the claim that the pastries were made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders. Thankfully Toriel had explained that for spider monsters, using their dust when they died for baking was a form of honoring their wishes. On the other hand, this means you had tried one, and were solidly hooked on the rotating selection of donuts. It was a cute little shop tucked into the street, it's glass windows full of beautiful pastries and lacy spiderweb decoration. There were always spiders hanging out in the sun on the small overhang above the door.

 

This morning, the cafe was bustling as several patrons, most of them monsters, got their morning drink and pastry. The tiny spiders that ran all over the store were busy keeping the counters and tables clean, sweeping up crumbs, and helping run the cash register for Muffet, who had all of her hands full making drinks and taking orders. Muffet smiled as you entered, waving over a large bird monster who was walking away with four drinks in a cup holder.

 

“G'morning Muffet!”

 

“Good morning dearie! What can I get started for you this morning?”

 

You smiled as you looked over the packed case. You'd learned early on that Muffet lived in the building next to you, and she was a total sweetheart. You had to admit you came to the bakery as much for her gossip as you did for the delicious sweets.

 

“Sans asked that I get him something called an 'insomnia shot', he's been up all night.”

 

Muffet laughed her distinctive laugh behind one hand. “He hasn't ordered one of those in a while!”

 

“Do I want to know what it is?”

 

Muffet giggled. “Well, it's a special monster espresso blend that I can't serve to humans, actually. I think we figured out it was the equivalent of twenty human shots.”

 

Your eyes boggled. “Good lord, that would definitely kill a human!”

 

“Precisely. It's why it's not on the menu. Hmm, did he say what flavor?”

 

You shook your head. “What does he usually get?”

 

“Orange or Raspberry.”

 

“Go for Raspberry. Oh, actually, I would like a raspberry mocha myself, that sounds good. Without the human cardiac arrest coffee though, just two shots please. Oh, and whatever Alphys usually gets, I should bring her something too.”

 

Muffet giggled again as she started your orders. You let yourself peruse the case as she worked on the coffees. A new batch of donuts was being placed by the tiny, fuzzy spiders. It appeared to be a new flavor, you didn't recognize it. It was covered with orange glaze, with a lacy black spiderweb on top.

 

“Ooo, what is this?” you asked, pointing through the case.

 

“My new Pumpkin Spice cream donuts. Would you like one?”

 

It took all of your willpower to not drool. “Make it three, one for each of us.”

 

A handful of tiny spiders packed up your order, and Muffet secured your drinks in a carrier. You paid and left a good tip (which made a small gaggle of tiny spiders wave and dance at you, which you always loved and couldn't resist). The air outside was cooler than it had been in ages, the first bit of fall starting to ease it's way into the town. You could smell rain in the breeze. You wondered if you should have grabbed a jacket that morning.

 

You breathed a small sigh of relief that the lot of the lab was empty, as usual (save for Alphys' small electric car). You'd wondered if anyone would be there, wanting more questions, but it looked like your explanation was enough for most folks.

 

The lab was fairly quiet this morning by the looks of it. Alphys was settled at her monitor, glazed over look on her face. You noticed her desk was littered with coffee mugs and empty ramen cups.

 

“Long night?”

 

Alphys grumbled, removing her glasses to rub her eyes. “Someone definitely hacked into the royal lab system. Took Sans and I all night to patch it and build in new security measures.”

 

“Ouch.” You pulled Alphys' drink and one of the donuts and handed them to her. The glisten in her eyes told you that the action was much appreciated.

 

“I did go home around 1am though, Sans stayed.”

 

“I know, he's the one who texted me begging for coffee. I'll get the pot set up again too.”

 

Alphys took a long sip of her cup, smiling. “Y-y-you're a lifesaver, ___.”

 

“Hey, what are interns for? Oh, where's Sans?”

 

“Downstairs, last I checked.”

 

You picked up the bag of donuts, and carefully balanced both yours and Sans' drink in your arms. You realized you'd never been downstairs. You knew that Sans had claimed the basement level for himself for the most part.

 

You were careful going down the stairs. The hallway was lit, but only barely. There were a couple of doors labeled “Storage”, but what impressed you was the huge steel door at the end of the hall. You reached and tapped your card against the keypad, but heard an angry beep. Ah, your card didn't work down here. You resorted to banging on the door.  
  


“Saaaans!”

 

There was no response.

 

“Sans if you don't open the door I'm gonna drink your coffee, even if it kills me!”

 

You heard the lock disengage and the door slid open. You chuckled to yourself and walked inside.

 

The room was larger than you expected, there was a small balcony at the door, the basement floor was another floor below. You were instantly reminded of an air hanger. It was pretty dark, you could barely make out the multitude of covered up machinery that lined the walls. In the middle though was a well lit desk, where Sans was currently sitting, his head in his arms. You figured he was asleep.

 

As you made your way down, you got a closer look at the desk itself. It was a large C shaped glass desk, absolutely covered in papers. There was also a three monitored computer, on and displaying several programming projects, by the looks of it.

 

Sans wasn't asleep, but he looked exhausted, dark circles under his eye sockets. He glanced up as you came in, smiling in sheer happiness at the drink in your hand.

 

“One ultra-death-wish coffee, as you asked, sir.”

 

“You're the best, kid.” Sans took it with a weary hand and downed a giant gulp of it. You shook your head, finally getting a drink of your own coffee. “Haven't pulled an all night-er in a while.”

 

“That bad, huh?” You offered Sans one of the donuts, putting one in your own mouth. It was of course, amazing.

 

Sans groaned, setting the donut down on the desk and rubbing his browbones. “Freaking hacker got INTO the lab system. Didn't get much farther than the email server, thank the stars, but I had to redo the entire system.”

 

“They didn't take anything important, did they?” You gasped, alarmed.

 

Sans shook his head, taking a bite of the donut. “Just the email. You can't get into any of the other servers without three different encrypted security credentials, passing through two different firewalls, and in the case of our most secure server, a randomized passcode that only I know.”

 

You were taken aback. That was some damn strong security. Just what was on those servers? Somehow, you figured it was best you didn't know.

 

“So, we're secure again? I can safely send bad puns over the email again?”

 

Sans huffed a tired laugh. “Yep. Safe and secure again. You'll have to do a password reset, but that's about it.”

 

“Oh no, the inconvenience!” you gasped in mock horror. You looked back at his desk, noticing something you hadn't before.

 

“There's my favorite mug! Geeze no wonder we're constantly out of cups, how long have these been down here?”

 

Sans looked over at the small stack of empty coffee mugs, scratching the back of his skull.

 

“Yeah, been meaning to bring those upstairs.”

 

You shook your head, finishing off your donut, and began to carefully stack them, pulling them out from under papers and around small pieces of machinery that Sans was working on. Sans made a small, lazy gesture in an attempt to stop you, but went back to drinking his coffee.

 

“Oh, did Alph tell you, Mettaton is coming over today.”

 

You nearly dropped the stack of mugs. “Uh, no! What for?”

 

Sans grumbled into his cup. “Needs a firmware update, but probably just wants to come chat your ear off.”

 

You leaned back, looking at the grumpy skeleton.

 

“I take it you don't like Mettaton.”

 

Sans shook his head. “When you have to listen to him prattle on for hours and hours because your brother is obsessed with his awful shows, you get a little tired of him.”

 

You laughed. “Touche.”

 

“He's not a bad guy, really. Just...grates on my nerves.” Sans leaned back in his chair.

 

“Well, you don't have to come upstairs. You look like you need a nap.”

 

Sans looked up at you as you balanced the mugs in your arms. He smiled that grateful, sweet smile of his that made you happy to see.

 

“I might just do that.”

 

“I won't tell on you if you promise to bring your cups upstairs more often. Ugh, these stink.”

 

Sans shrugged, in half apology, causing you to roll your eyes. Turning on your heels, you headed back up the stairs. When you turned to look back at the balcony, Sans had his head on the desk again, looking very much asleep. How he could do that with that much magical caffeine in his system, you had no idea.

 

Once you were back upstairs, you made a stop back at Alphys' desk to collect her mugs, and headed into the small kitchenette. Alphys paid you little mind, clacking away at some coding. She seemed in the zone, so you were careful not to disturb her.

 

Finally, you set the multitude of cups down, some of which you were sure were growing their own ecosystems. You pulled out your phone and tapped in a new weekly reminder.

 

Get bonehead to bring up cups.

 

Maybe if you kept on him, you wouldn't lose them all. You quickly dumped out the foul liquid of the cups, setting them in the sink. Remembering what you had said earlier, you began to also refill and set the coffee maker. After turning it on, it was time to get those cups clean. You downed the last of your coffee, and turned on one of your playlists on your phone. Mettaton's new album Glitterbomb came on, which you shamelessly sang along to as you started scrubbing and rinsing the cups.

 

You got into a groove quickly, not minding the time, when you heard a commotion out in the main hall. You paused your music for a moment, listening to make sure something wasn't wrong.

 

“Alphys darling!You simply must...”

 

You didn't hear the rest, turning your music back on. Looks like Mettaton was here. You hurried to finish the cups.

 

“Is that 'Bang Bang Heart-o-rang?'” Mettaton whipped around the corner, a smile gleaming on his metallic face.

 

You turned, scrubbing the cup in your hand. “Sure is! I love this album, every song is catchy as hell!” You reached and paused the music with your pinky, trying not to get your phone wet.

 

“Well, I'm glad to know you're a lady of taste.” Mettaton slunk into the kitchenette, grabbing your wet hands out of the sink. “Darling, I am SO sorry about that incident yesterday. Had I known, I would have more carefully vetted who was there!”

 

You blushed, averting your eyes from Mettaton's steely gaze. “It's...it's okay, it's not something I...like to share about myself.”

 

“And why not? I'd say being a mage simply makes you extraordinary!”

 

You blushed even harder. “Most humans...don't think so...”

 

Mettaton shook his head. “To think that someone would judge you so harshly for something you were born with...well, know that I will never judge your abilities! Now, come chat with Alphys and I while she installs my update, would you please?”

 

You chuckled, wiping your hands off on one of the towels.

 

“Do you like coffee Mettaton?” You realized as you said it, that you didn't even know if he could drink it.

 

“Oh, no darling, messes with my concentration! But thank you for offering!” Mettaton blew you a kiss as he flounced out of the small kitchen. You grinned and giggled as you filled up two mugs of coffee and made them as you and Alphys liked. You grabbed your phone and shot Sans a text letting him know Mettaton was there, and that there was more coffee. You weren't sure how much coffee was too much for a magical skeleton, but you figured you'd at least let him know.

 

Back in the main room, Mettaton was lounging in one of the desk chairs as Alphys starting to hook several cables into a hidden port on his chest.

 

“Alphys, brought you more coffee.” You noticed she'd already emptied the one you'd brought earlier.

 

“T-t-t-thanks, ___. O-okay Mettaton, just s-s-sit still for a few minutes.” Alphys returned to her computer and started the update.

 

“Mind if I ask what you're updating?” You plunked into your chair and pushed yourself over to Mettaton and Alphys, sipping your piping hot coffee.

 

“Oh, just a few minor updates to the cooling system. And some groundwork for future upgrades.” Alphys said as she watched the diagnostics roll on her computer.

 

“I'm thinking of having Alphys add some light effects.” Mettaton coo'd, tossing his shining black hair. “Sew-in LED's are all the rage right now, and I would LOVE to add a few to the body if possible.”

 

You leaned back and smiled. “They make some really sturdy LEDs for computer cases, color changing, you could probably code them to be controllable with ease. What kind of cooling system are you running?”

 

Mettaton smiled. “A combination of Magic and air cooling. But the fans run a little loud at times for me.” Mettaton pouted. “I noticed they're picking up in the studio.”

 

Alphys shook her head, still watching the screen of her computer. “No one can hear them except you, Mettaton. I've d-d-done sound tests, they b-b-barely register.”

 

You tapped your chin thoughtfully. “You know, my last gaming rig had a liquid cooling system. Did a great job, I had a pretty beefy graphics card that overheated constantly without it.”

 

Alphys turned, looking thoughtful. “You know...that could work...it'd be a real tight fit though.”

 

“I mean, what kind of heat are you getting,” you looked at Mettaton, who was blushing slightly. “Oh, oh God I'm sorry, am I...”

 

“No, no darling!” Mettaton reached out and patted your knee. “Just...I've met very few humans who can keep up with my darling Alphys.”

 

You had a feeling that wasn't at all what Mettaton was thinking about, but you knew not to press.

 

“I think the last diagnostic I ran at peak load was like...300 or so?” Alphys said, pulling up files on her machine to check.

 

“Good lord. You know, I've heard of liquid nitrogen cooling, for like, industrial. Heck, maybe even that snow from Snowdin?” You remembered that the snow never did melt, and was still icy cold.

 

You saw a spark in Alphys' eyes. You had seen that spark only a couple times.

 

“That...that could work. Use a super frozen sample that is still liquid, maybe a mix of the snow and standard water...use the existing magic system to keep it stable...” Alphys scrabbled around for paper, her mind working at lightning speed. You stood and grabbed some blueprint paper from one of the drawers, handing it to her. She immediately unfurled the roll and began scratching away.

 

Mettaton laughed. “My goodness. Well, file it down with all the other ideas, Alphys dear. I think the update is done.”

 

You looked over and noticed that indeed, the screen was showing the install as complete. Alphys didn't seem to notice, furiously scribbling away. You chuckled and reached around her, closing out the program.

 

“Fully installed and safe to unplug.” You turned and gave Mettaton a thumbs up. Mettaton pulled the plugs from his chest, quickly closing the small door that protected the ports. Alphys seemed to come back to reality for a moment.

 

“O-oh. Thanks ___. Next update should be...sometime next month. And I'll try to have the new improvements ready!”

 

“That sounds fantastic Alphys dear. And you, ___, please keep in touch. If I find out who leaked your information to that rag of a tabloid, I'll let you know.”

 

“Thanks, Mettaton!” You stood and walked him out of the lab and down the hall. Alphys had disappeared back into her zone.

 

As you reached the door, Mettaton stopped and placed his hands on your shoulder.

 

“Thank you for working so well with my dear Alphys. It's good to see her with more friends. I do worry about her sometimes.”

 

You smiled back. “Don't worry, I keep her stocked with coffee and new ideas, apparently.”

 

Mettaton smiled a genuine, caring smile at you. “And I mean it, you ever need someone to chat with, you have my number. Now, I must be off, I have a meeting with my Fashion Line that I simply must get to.”

 

Mettaton squeezed your shoulders and flounced off. You waved and turned, making your way back to the Lab.

 

Sans was hanging around the hallway, almost like he was hiding.

 

“Is he gone?”

 

You laughed as you passed. “Yep, gone. Update done, and I think I may have broken Alphys.”

 

Sans blinked. “You what?”

 

At that moment, Alphys came darting through the door of the main hall. She had a bucket in one hand, a list in the other.

 

“I need to get some more parts for prototyping from the computer store, Sans, can you get me a bucket of snow from Snowdin? Please and thank you!” Alphys deposited the bucket in Sans' hands before he could protest, and scrabbled out the door.

 

Sans glared at you. You shrugged.

 

“Uh...sorry about that.”

 

“Since this is your fault, I'm taking you with me.”

 

“You what?”

 

You didn't have a chance to react before Sans grabbed your arm and teleported you.

 

You instantly wished you'd brought that jacket.

 


	11. Snow Poffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As usual, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at missalyxxxa.tumblr.com (Blog is NSFW)

“Damnit Sans, it's freaking cold!”

 

Sans had teleported you right in front of his old home in Snowdin. A steady snowfall was blanketing the town again, and the air was super chilled. You could feel the goosebumps on your arms.

 

“Well, then let's get this bucket filled fast.” Sans set the bucket down in the snow. You huffed, rubbing your arms, wishing you had a coat and gloves. You contemplated for a moment asking Sans for his hoodie, but the blush that crept across your face at the thought was a bit much.

 

He'd just been so sweet after the incident with the journalists. Hell, he'd been super kind and understanding about the whole mage thing in general. You're not sure why he's been so kind. It certainly wasn't something you were used to. Honestly, Sans had been in your thoughts a lot lately...and you weren't real sure why.

 

The though had barely finished when you felt a snowball hit you square in the back. You turned to see Sans with one hand extended, five snowballs hovering in the air beside him. He had a mischievous look in his eyes.

 

“Oh you are so dead, bone boy.” You bent over to begin gathering snow.

 

“Nope. Magic only.” He said, knocking the snow out of your hand with a well aimed shot. You had half a mind to walk over there and push him over into the snow, but well...maybe a good snowball fight would warm you up. And the concept of using only your magic to do so...hell, why not.

 

“I have no idea how to use magic to throw though. Only lift.”

 

Sans nodded, dropping the snowballs he'd had primed. He walked over, his hands up in a truce position. He came and stood next to you, his hand extended.

 

“First rule of throwing snowballs...kinetic energy. Uh...how much physics did you take in school?”

 

“Enough to know what that means, you dork.” you jabbed him gently in the side as he lined up next to you, his arm extended and a snowball floating in front of him. You lifted your arm as well, pulling a neat ball of snow out of the bank in front of you. You'd been practicing a lot, gravity magic was super handy when you were feeling lazy.

 

“Nice snowball. You've got the basics of magic down, but now you have to learn how to imbue your magic into things. That's the next step. So...” He turned his hand and the snowball he was levitating rolled lazily. “You want to put enough kinetic energy into this ball to send it flying in the direction you want. You have to push your magic into it to give it the energy to move. Does that make sense?”

 

You nodded slowly. You let your magic pool into your arms, pushing it into the ball. You could sort of feel the magic building, when the ball crumbled.

 

“Shoot.”

 

“You're not giving it enough direction. Here,” Sans stood behind you, letting his arm rest on yours. “Imagine how the energy in your muscles feel when you throw something. That's the feel you're going for. If you don't give it direction, it won't do what you want it to do.”

 

You were trying to focus on Sans' words, but for some reason, you could only feel the warmth of him standing behind you, his breath warm on your shoulder, his arm touching yours. You could feel your heart pick up a bit. You prayed he couldn't hear it as well.

 

“You okay there kid?”

 

You felt yourself blush, nodding. You tried to refocus on what you were doing. You pooled your magic again, this time thinking of the feeling of throwing the ball with your arm. This time you could feel the difference, the magic that went into the ball was more...charged, almost alive. You let it sink into the ball, like a spring ready to let go.

 

“There you go, I can feel the difference. Now, aim over there, and let that energy go.”

 

You released the pent up energy, and felt the delight of the ball flying through the air, hitting the ground near where you aimed.

 

Sans laughed and patted you on the shoulder. “Good job! Try again.”

 

This time, the movement was easier. Your magic was ready to sink into the snowball, and just as ready to let fly. As this snowball sailed farther and faster, you giggled.

 

“There you go. Now...if you can hit me, I'll buy you dinner.”

 

As he whispered the last bit into your ear, leaving you flustered, he teleported across the road, and with a snap of his fingers, eight snow balls lifted into an arc behind him. He gave you only a second to collect yourself, before the snow balls let fly.

 

You tried your best to dodge, but Sans was putting up a relentless onslaught. Even more frustrating, as you began to get your own shots in, he dodged with precision. Soon you were throwing one, two, three snowballs at a time, a sweat starting to form on your back. You were constantly moving to avoid Sans' attacks, bit by bit, but you were still getting hit. He just smiled back in a grin that was starting to infuriate you.

 

“What...the...hell...SANS...” you panted, dodging a fast flurry of ten snow balls.

 

“Did I forget to mention I was the all time champ at snowball fights?”

 

“UGH.” You had to think for a second, not that Sans was giving you any quarter. That's when you realized...there was a pattern to his dodges. You threw a few more snowballs to make sure...yes...left dodge, left dodge, right dodge...you suddenly knew how to hit him. It was a bit of a dirty tactic, but this skeleton was giving you no quarter.

 

You dodged a few more hits, lining yourself up with him just right...When you decided to really show him. With a rush of magic leaving you, the hair on your arms prickling in exhilaration, you raised ten snow balls of your own behind you. You noticed he looked a little...panicked.

 

“What's a matter, bone boy, did I...huff...steal your moves?”

 

“Nah, you can copy all you want...I got a good hundred years of practice on you.”

 

For a second, you were distracted by that number, but refocused. You had to hit him. Dinner didn't even matter now, it was a matter of principle. You let the snowballs fly, quickly building your magic elsewhere. Sans dodged them all easily, but as he dodged the last, you went into action. As he steadied himself, in the fraction of a second after dodging, You let loose the snowball you'd been forming right behind him. It caught him just off guard enough to pelt him in the back of the head.

 

Sans stopped, knocked forward by your hit. You stopped too, panting, wondering if that was too cheap a shot.

 

“Nice job kid, you're a natural. However...” Sans looked up, his eye glowing. You were caught off guard long enough that you didn't notice you were standing right under the eaves of Sans' old home. You weren't expecting the giant poff of snow from the roof to fall and hit you, knocking you into the soft snow. “I always win.”

 

Instantly you were soaked with freezing snow, the sweat on your back freezing into your core. You sputtered and knocked the snow away, trying to right yourself.

 

“YOU DIRTY WHORE.” You yelled, before you burst out laughing. Sans too burst out in heavy laughter, clutching his sides.

 

“I'm sorry...I used to catch Pap with that every freaking time...” Sans could barely breathe through his laughter. You were laughing too, but now you were really shivering. You didn't know what it was about the snow here, but it soaked in fast and you were freezing. You clasped your hands around your arms.

 

“Oh...I will...get you back for that...just you...wait...” You stuttered, kicking the snow off your shoes. Sans wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and approached you, his hands raised in truce again.

 

“That'll have to wait, kid. You're soaking wet and cold. C'mon in the house, I'll get you warmed back up. Forget you humans get cold so fast.”

 

You let Sans guide you into his house, and plopped down on the couch. Your clothing was absolutely soaked. Sans left and walked up the stairs, not feeling the glare you were shooting him from your shivering spot on the couch. The house was warm, but not warm enough. You were rubbing your arms, your teeth chattering, when Sans appeared in the living room with a small pop. He was holding several blankets as well as some clothing.

 

“You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes. I had some spare stuff down here, it'll work till your clothing is dry.” He tossed you a pair of shorts and a black tank top, as well as a towel. “I turned the heater on, you can hang your stuff over the vent in the kitchen.”

 

You reluctantly pulled yourself off the couch. “You better not peek while I'm changing, mister.”

 

Sans seemed caught off guard by that comment, then laughed. “Don't worry kid, I'm not that kind of monster.”

 

Sans busied himself in the living room while you pulled off your wet clothing in the kitchen, cursing as the cool air hit your damp skin. You carefully hung your clothing over the vent on some chairs. The clothing Sans gave you actually fit surprisingly well, considering he was wider and slightly taller than you. The shorts slid down your hips a bit, but you figured you'd be fine. For a moment you worried just a tank top was too revealing, but you didn't feel like putting a wet, cold bra back on.

 

When you returned to the living room, still shivering, but dry at least, you discovered Sans had made a blanket nest on the couch and turned on the TV. You were surprised there was anything on down here still, but you remembered that some monsters still lived underground. While distracted by the TV, you missed the look Sans was giving you. You barely caught the hint of blush in his cheekbones as you looked back at him.

 

Sans was sitting in the corner of the couch, one blanket around his shoulders, motioning for you to join him. You grabbed one of the lose blankets, burrito-ing yourself up, before plopping down next to him. You were a little surprised when he gently pulled you against him, but he was pretty damn warm.

 

“Sorry I got you all wet and cold.” He said, chuckling. “Should make sure you're good and warm before we go anywhere.”

 

“Suuure, you just wanted to sneak a cuddle.” You said, feeling your own cheeks warm as you sat against him. You were surprised by your own words. Why was your heart skipping all over the place? “I should have just stolen your hoodie again.”

 

Sans shrugged. “I mean, I'da given you that too. Figured this was comfier.”

 

You smiled, and let yourself settle onto his side. There was an older MTT special on at the moment, and you lost track of what was happening pretty fast. It was odd seeing Mettaton in his box form, he usually stayed in his more human-like form on his shows or for the press. You noted that his acting was much better now than...whatever this was. But it was good background, as you felt yourself getting sleepy. Sans really was pretty warm. Surprising since he was a literal skeleton.

 

You were surprised when, what felt like just a moment of closing your eyes later, Sans gently jostled your shoulder. Had you fallen asleep?

 

“Sorry to wake ya, kid, but your clothing should be dry, and we should get back.”

 

“Shit, didn't mean to fall asleep.” You sat up and stretched, your back popping. You didn't notice Sans jump slighly behind you. “What time is it?”

 

Sans pulled out his phone. “About 5.”

 

You slumped. “Dangit. I have to go back and get some real work done. I have a bunch of paperwork to do for the University.”

 

Sans pulled the blanket off of you. “Yeah, I got stuff to do too. Tell ya what, I'll order pizza?”

 

You looked back at him with a grin. “Heh, yeah, that's right, you owe me dinner!”

 

Sans scratched the back of his skull as you got up to get your clothing from the kitchen. “That was a damn dirty move, kid.”

 

You turned and shrugged with exaggerated sincerity as you rounded the corner of the kitchen, forcing a laugh from Sans.

 


	12. Drunken Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a tiiiiny bit of sorta smut at the beginning of this, marked with --*. Any future true smut will be marked this way as well, in case you're not into that jazz. Trust me, I am EXCITED to get to the smut guys. 
> 
> You can find me and sling questions at me at missalyxxxa.tumblr.com (18+ only, NSFW).
> 
> Thank you once again for all your kudos and comments!!!

\--*

 

You had been so comfy, when you felt a weight at the foot of your bed. You opened your eyes, surprised to see Sans kneeling on the mattress, his hoodie un-zipped, his chest bare bones beneath it. In the darkness, his eyes were glowing, watching you hungrily. You felt your breath catch in your throat. He slowly crawled up your form, his hands brushing your thighs and waist. His hands were warm and he gripped your flesh firmly. You could feel the heat in your core building.

 

He chuckled in a low, teasing manner that made you gasp slightly. “What's the matter, kid? You like what you see?”

 

You nodded, feeling giddy and dizzy. He held your gaze with his, fierce and intense. Sans finally was crouched above you, his hands on either side of your head. He had you firmly pinned against your mattress, and you ached for him to touch you again.

 

He leaned low, his breath hot against your ear. “You ain't seen nothin' yet...”

 

\--*

 

Your eyes snapped open. Morning light was drifting through your window. You sat up, rubbing your eyes.

 

Did you...was that...you thought to yourself for a moment. You could feel the heat in your core throbbing. Yes, that was.

 

You'd been having a sex dream about Sans.

 

Oh shit.

 

You threaded your fingers through your hair. You'd been thinking about Sans a lot lately. Ever since the snowball fight last week, you'd been noticing him more at work. While he was still super busy downstairs (supposedly working on some miniature Core prototypes), he'd found every excuse to be upstairs, finding ways to annoy you while you worked on various experiments that Alphys was running.

 

You also had found yourself over at the skeleton brothers' house a lot lately. It didn't help that Papyrus was an excellent cook, and if he wasn't home, he made sure to leave plenty of food for you and for Sans. You'd spent a lot of nights in the last week over playing video games or watching silly movies with Sans.

 

You'd felt the crush building. But now, hoo boy there was no denying it. You had the hots for a skeleton. A skeleton who happened to be your coworker. You swung your legs over the side of the bed. It was Saturday, and tonight you were supposed to go out for drinks with Sans, Alphys, and some of their friends. You'd been super excited to be invited. But now, your fluttering heart was wondering...could you focus?

 

Shower. You decided you needed a shower. If nothing else, to give you the chance to work out the very heated thoughts in your head that were making you distracted. Oh God, why had that dream ended there...

 

 

As you scarfed down some lunch, your thoughts were racing. Did he even feel the same? Some part of you wondered...he seemed to find a lot of excuses to poke you, touch you, even tickle you (which had caused you to drop a test tube at one point, in which Alphys banned him downstairs for the rest of the day). At first you'd thought you'd just reached that point of friendship where casual touch was okay. You had to admit, you hadn't had such a close friend as Sans in a long time. He seemed real proud of the progress you were making in learning magic. And you'd discovered you both really enjoyed retro video games and old stupid comedies. You found yourself grinning thinking about the jokes he made and the time you'd spent hanging out. Oh this was bad.

 

You pulled up your phone. You had several text threads going, one of which was with Sans. You'd been trading your best knock knock jokes since last night, and he still was coming up with ones you'd never heard of. You'd even resorted to looking some up online, though you'd never admit to it. You quickly shot one you'd read last night his way.

 

You also had a group thread going with Undyne and Alphys. The two were great to chat with, especially once you got going about anime. In fact, you'd been invited to anime nights with them as well, in which you discovered you sided with Undyne in your love of Shonen fight anime. You were both on a Samurai Z kick currently, and had been watching through the seasons and then yelling about it over the phone.

 

You noted then, as you took a bite of sandwich, that even Mettaton had texted you this morning, asking how much you were gonna dress up at the drink night tonight. He stated that he didn't want to upstage anyone. You chuckled. You texted back that you weren't planning on going too fancy or anything.

 

It was strange, your social life hadn't been this bustling in ages. Most of the time, people had found out about your abilities by now, and had either gotten scared, or started pestering you for spells. This group didn't seem to care, which was so strange and refreshing at the same time.

 

You waved your hand, guiding your mug through the air, and lifting the carafe on your coffee maker to fill you for another cup. You smirked. You were getting pretty damn good at blue magic. Sans had been commenting that it was probably about time to teach you how to spar.

 

Oops, your mind was back on Sans, and you felt your cheeks light up. You fiddled with the phone in your hand, trying to decide who to text. You flicked your fingers, guiding your mug back to the table. You needed to air this out. You decided on Alphys and Undyne. They wouldn't give you too hard of a time, would they?

 

You

So um...I have a problem.

 

Undyne

What do you mean a problem? Do I need to punch someone?!!?

 

You

No, no not at all.

I think...uh...I have a crush on someone

 

Alphys

OMG WHO?

I mean

really??

 

You chuckled to yourself.

 

Undyne

SPILL IT NERD.

 

You

Okay um

I don't know if it's a real crush but

…

 

Undyne

I WILL COME OVER THERE AND SUPLEX YOU INTO THE SUN

 

Alphys

Undyne noooo

not my favorite coworker

 

You

Okay first off, awww

I'm your favorite?

Okay um

um

it's on

…

a coworker, and not you.

 

Your hands were shaking. You hadn't felt this jittery about a crush in...a long time.

 

Undyne

YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON SANS???

 

Alphys

OMG I SHIP IT.

 

You

No Alphys

noooo

don't you dare

 

Alphys

Too late.

It's my otp now.

 

Undyne

Does he know?

 

You

No, and DONT YOU DARE TELL HIM OMG.

I just realized it today

ugh I'm a freaking mess.

 

Undyne

We are coming over RIGHT NOW.

We can get ready for drinks there.

WERE GONNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE PRIME CUTE.

 

Alphys

if that's okay

 

You

Sure. I guess.

Lemme get dressed and shit

 

You sat your phone down. That had gone...as expected, you guessed. You knew that Undyne and Alphys wouldn't blab to Sans about your crush. But admitting it to them had been nerve wracking. You were NOT going to tell Sans. Maybe this was just an infatuation or something. It'd been a LONG time since you'd had a boyfriend, after all. Maybe your extended dry spell was making you jump to conclusions.

 

While you waited for Undyne and Alphys to show, you pulled out all your “cute” clothing. While you normally existed solely in jeans and nerdy t-shirts, maybe the girls had a point about looking cute. As you laid out clothing you rarely wore, you wondered if this was a good idea. You really liked Sans as a friend. Did you want to push this? Ugh, why was this so frustrating. It was like being in high school all over again!

 

The knock at your door, which shook the entire apartment, told you Undyne and Alphys were there. You opened the door, and sighed. Undyne was wearing a sparkly red top under a black leather jacket, her hair in a loose ponytail. Alphys was wearing a cute polka dot dress. Both monsters had looks of sheer glee on their faces.

 

“Get in here, you dorks.”

 

“Who are you calling a dork?!” Undyne moved quickly, lifting you and throwing you over her shoulder. You'd learned to just go limp and accept this from her. At least she hadn't suplexed you yet.

 

“Oh my gosh, you said you realized today?” Alphys giggled, making sure to shut your door behind them.

 

“Yeeeeah.”

 

“What made you realize?”

 

Your face went red. “Uh...well...”

 

Undyne tossed you gently onto your couch, where you flopped dramatically on your back, hanging off the side.

 

You knew that if you didn't answer, Undyne would start the noogies. You grabbed a pillow off the couch and squished it against your face.

 

Undyne stood over you, staring for a moment. “Weeeell?”

 

You peeked over the pillow, not daring to look at her or Alphys.

 

“I had a...dream about him.”

 

Undyne blinked for a moment before laughing. “NOPE. Nope I don't wanna hear any more.”

 

Alphys sat on the couch and patted your arm. “That's perfectly normal, you know.”

 

“I know but...” You sighed and flipped yourself over. “He's a coworker and...and a friend! And I have NOT had the best of luck dating.”

 

“But this is different!” Undyne shouted, sitting on the other side of you. “For one, he's not some smelly human!” you shot a good-natured glare at her.

 

“A-a-and he doesn't care that you're a mage...i-in fact, he's really proud of you.” Alphys murmured, smiling gently.

 

You blushed. “He...he is? Ugh, see, I'm doing it again.” you grabbed the pillow again to hide your red face, but Undyne ripped it out of your hands.

 

“Dude, so you have a crush on Sans, big whoop! Just go with it!”

 

“But...but is he even...I don't even know if he's into...”

 

Alphys grabbed your shoulder. “___, don't worry about it. Seriously. J-j-just go with the flow.”

 

Undyne shot up, throwing the pillow hard into the couch. “Exactly! Now, let's pick out your outfit, make you so cute he won't be able to resist you!”

 

You tried to stammer out something against it, but Undyne once again lifted you off the couch and carted you into your bedroom.

 

 

With Alphys and Undyne's help, you managed to put together a pretty cute ensemble. You paired a long red tunic top with some cute black leggings, and threw a denim jacket on to complete it. You pulled your hair up into a messy bun (man, the green was fading ALREADY.) and grabbed a pair of dangly earrings that you rarely wore anymore. With some makeup help from Undyne (who was surprisingly good, you hadn't ever been very good at makeup), you had to admit you looked danged cute.

 

You were glad for the jacket as it was already raining when the three of you left your apartment. You'd received a text from Papyrus that he and Sans were already at the pub. You were equally glad you were meeting at Grillby's, meaning not too long in the rain. Undyne ran ahead into the pub, you and Alphys chatting about this week's anime night.

 

The pub was busy as always for a Saturday night. It didn't take long for you to wind your way through the crowd. Papyrus and Sans were leaning against the bar, chatting with other monsters. Papyrus was dressed in a nice dress shirt in orange, which looked quite nice on him. Sans was chatting with Grillby, and you couldn't help but stare.

 

For once, probably one of the only times you'd ever seen it, he wasn't wearing his hoodie. Instead he was wearing a dark red flannel shirt, open, and underneath was a grey t-shirt that said “Math is torture for humans.” He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, and even had on a blue beanie. You felt your heart stammer a bit in your chest, but brushed it off. You waved at Papyrus, who came to give you a tight hug.

 

“HUMAN! IT IS EXCELLENT TO SEE YOU!”

 

“Hi Papyrus, you look nice!” Sans glanced your way, but you tried to not get caught looking at him.

 

Papyrus struck a heroic pose. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS LOOKS DASHING, ESPEICALLY FOR A FUN NIGHT OUT WITH FRIENDS.”

 

You giggled and patted his arm. “Well, you certainly strike a good pose. Hey Sans, whatcha drinkin?”

 

Sans held up his glass, and for a split second you thought he was seriously drinking ketchup again. “Bloody Mary, you want one?”

 

You thought about it for a moment. “Maybe later...Hey Grillby, can I get some of that firewhisky, on the rocks?”

 

Grillby nodded curtly, and poured your drink. You heard a bit of commotion, and turned to see that Mettaton had shown up as well, causing some ruckus as people recognized him. It was then that you looked around and realized that there was a pretty equal number of humans in the pub tonight, which was rare.

 

Mettaton was rocking a casual look of his own, dark jeans and a pink dress shirt, which honestly surprised you.

 

“Daaaarling!” He called at you, tucking his sunglasses in his pocket. “Wait, let me look at you, turn around.”

 

You sighed, taking a large sip of your drink, before you complied. Mettaton seemed pleased.

 

“You really should let me give you a wardrobe makeover, my dear. Such a lovely figure.”

 

You blushed again. “S'fine, Mettaton. I actually like jeans and t-shirts.”

 

“Hey nerds, I grabbed a table!” Undyne shouted over everyone. It didn't take long before your group had grabbed seats around it. You somehow ended up next to Sans, much to Undyne and Alphys' glee. The chatter was mostly the usual, about everyone's week, about the upcoming holiday season. Mettaton seemed especially excited about Halloween, but wouldn't say why.

 

Drinks were flowing freely, and all of you were getting pretty tipsy. In fact, you could feel yourself getting overwhelmed by the noise. The pub was bustling, and your group was also pretty loud. Lots of monsters and humans seemed to flock to Sans, you noticed. He seemed to get along with just about anyone. You gently touched Sans on the shoulder.

 

“I'm gonna go outside for some air.”

 

He nodded, still wrapped up in a conversation with his brother. You stood and made your way outside. The rain was still falling pretty steadily, and there were plenty of people out and about. You moved away from the door, rummaging in your pocket. You were pleased to find one of your stashed packets of clove cigs. You were less pleased to see you were on your last one.

 

You covered your hand as you flicked a flame onto the end of the cigarette, taking a small drag as it lit. It was a course smoke, but the smell and taste of clove made you relax instantly. You exhaled the smoke slowly, enjoying the way it snaked through the cold air.

 

The pub door opened, and Sans appeared, his grin easy.

 

“Y'okay, kid?”

 

You nodded. “Was getting too loud, just needed some air.”

 

“Didn't know you smoked.” Sans leaned against the wall next to you. You flicked some ash off the cig.

 

“Normally don't. But...these are sentimental, help me relax. Mom used to smoke these.”

 

Sans nodded, digging in the pocket of his jeans, before he dug out a pack of his own. They were different than regular cigs, though looked a lot like your clove ones.

 

“Echoflower. Made of magic, won't rot your lungs. But, uh, don't let Pap know I have these. He hates em.” Sans placed the cigarette in his teeth, digging for a lighter. You reached out your hand, and he chuckled, allowing you to heat the end enough to start it. You were amused to see that the smoke was a light blue in tone, and had a pleasing smell, unlike regular cigarettes.

 

“They smell nice.” You took another drag. “I'll have to try em sometime, I guess.”

 

“Not legal to sell to humans yet, but I can get you some if you want.”

 

“Like I need that bad habit.” you laughed, flicking your own ashes away.

 

Sans was about to say something else when someone shouted from across the street. You turned to look, to find a pair of very drunk looking dudes climbing out of their car, shouting profanities.

 

“Oy, you fuckin' monster asshole!”

 

Sans sighed, pulling out his phone. “Wonderful.”

 

“What are you doing?” you whispered.

 

Sans clicked a button, and the recording light on his camera turned on. “Police want us to record em. Easier to catch and deal with.”

 

You turned, and saw that the men were making their way across the street.

 

“Couldn't get a bitch of your own, gotta steal ours!?”

 

“C'mon sweetheart, we'll get you away from the beast!”

 

You felt your blood start to boil. They were THAT type of asshole. You could feel the fringes of your magic starting to react.

 

Sans was the picture of calm. He was still leaned against the wall, simply recording them. You noticed that most folks on the street had disappeared.

 

“Go away. Leave us alone, you creeps!” You shouted. The men grew angrier.

 

“So you're one of those freaks who likes monster dick, huh?”

 

“Damn bitch is corrupted by em!”

 

You didn't like the tone of their voices. You felt Sans touch your arm, but he didn't say anything. You knew monsters had to be really careful, using magic against humans was still punishable by jail time.

 

“Maybe we should just dust that asshole!”

 

Time seemed to slow when you realized one of the men had a pocket knife out. Your magic flared, your anger flaring with it. How dare they threaten to hurt Sans. You moved on instinct, not realizing what was happening, as you flicked your arm out, green flames rushing down your hands. In your right, you felt something solid and weapon-like form. In your left hand, the magic swirled into a solid sort of shield.

 

“Don't you dare touch him.” Your voice sounded far away, and as you walked toward the men, you could see green flame in the corner of your vision.

 

This appeared to scare the men out of their minds. Both of them scrambled backward, shouting things you couldn't hear. All you knew was you had to protect Sans from them. You stopped yourself at the street, watching as the two men stumbled over themselves to climb back into their car.

 

The hand on your shoulder snapped you out of your thoughts. You turned to find Sans watching you with a concerned eye.

 

“They're gone, it's okay, ___.” He looked down at the weapon in your hand. “That's...uh...a pretty nice sword you got there, but you don't need it.”

 

You looked down. The sword was made of some kind of silver and green metal, no, not metal. As you looked closer, it was made of solidified magic, you could see the subtle swirl of light through it. The shield was also made up of the same strange magic. As you concentrated, you realized what they were made of your magic. You'd summoned them.

 

“How...how in the hell...” You realized you were still fueling the sword and shield, and cut the magic to them. You were awed when both items disappeared in a puff of green flame. “Sans...I didn't...”

 

Sans had both hands on both shoulders now. You realized he was...blushing slightly?

 

“That was pretty damn cool kid. Thanks for uh...protecting me I guess? Though, heh,” he let go of your shoulders and nervously scratched the back of his skull. “next time let me handle it. I can defend myself from some punk with a knife.”

 

“Oh...geeze, I...sorry I saw the knife and...well...you've read the news.” You looked away, blushing. Of course he could protect himself. You felt wholly embarrassed. You'd just acted on instinct.

 

“Hey,” Sans pulled you back under the awning. “I'm flattered you want to keep me safe. And to be honest, that was pretty damn awesome. I caught it on the camera too.”

 

You blushed again, then swooned. Between the alcohol and that use of magic, you felt...dizzy. As you leaned back against the wall, you felt Sans push a piece of monster candy into your palm. You were thankful as you popped it into your mouth, feeling the tingle of magic flow into your body again. You leaned, eyes closed for a moment, sucking on the piece of candy.

 

“You really caught that on camera?”

 

Sans chuckled, you heard him take a last drag of his cigarette. “Yup. Please tell me I can show the others, that was...fantastic.”

 

The way he said that last bit, you turned and looked, just briefly catching the look of...pride? He turned away, not before you saw the light of blue blush on his cheeks.

 

You grinned, hoping he didn't see the blush on your own cheeks.

 


End file.
